Great food! Really nice patio area. Really beer selection too.
(5)
deborah p.
Santa Fe's best place for delicious, fresh comfort food at a good value. They make the best fried chicken in town and the Southern Fried Chicken Salad with mango and jicama is a fabulous favorite! Pies are excellent as are the outrageous chocolate espresso brownies! Consistently warm, friendly, service too!
(5)
Michele L.
Horrible customer service. Waited ten minutes for staff to notice us. It's 6:00 pm . Not even that busy. Food was good, but bad customer servise. Won't be back ......
(2)
Lauren N.
Smack in the middle of historic arts district of Santa Fe. Small shops surrounding the small looking store front but once you go around the building to the entrance you're welcomed by friendly greeters and wait staff who are eager to accommodate your every need! ( my phone happened to die while searching for a museum and they were kind enough to sit me next to a plug so I could power up!) being from out of town, that was huge!!
(3)
Seeds L.
We stopped there on the road to have a breakfast. Staff is very welcoming, fast order and tasty. I would like to get a chance to eat there but are already back on the road.
(4)
Cindy L.
I was very pleased with the service, the atmosphere, and the food. I had the chicken piccata, gazpacho, and sangria. all were very good. The sangria was a little too tart, but I added a little Splenda and it tasted fine. The gazpacho was excellent. The entree came with mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus. The menu has a comfort food section which Included meatloaf. My husband liked his meatloaf. For the price I give it four stars.
(4)
Rick Y.
Don't quite understand this place. Stopped in once and had a delightful evening - helpful wait staff, great dinner (crusted trout), and pretty good drinks (they could stand to offer more variety on tap - but then again I'm an acknowledged beer snob). Made a return visit for happy hour a few days later and had weak drinks (if you offer a happy hour, make sure you give your patrons some HAPPY!!!), pretty sub-mediocre bites, and a disappearing wait staff. Sat on the patio because it was a gorgeous day, but felt like this was their back alley. READ: Someone bring in a pressure cleaner and blast the carpet of grease and food stain on the patio floor away. Basically this place is a gamble - you pay your money and you take your chances.
(2)
Quinn A.
After being unexpectedly shut out of Cowgirl Diner (see my review, it's short and to the point), I stood there on the curb with my dog and wondered where to go, where to go. Then I saw it - the Zia, and I heard those radio commercials in my head (see ya at the Zia!), so I dialed them up and asked them if I could bring Augusta the Blue Heeler on to their patio. They said yes, so we made our way across the street. Husband ordered the meatloaf and I went full Sunday glutton and ordered the green chile pine nut meatballs with marinara sauce, the fried asparagus, and the house made potato chips with blue cheese. Oh my gosh, I thought I'd be taking at least some of it home with me, but it was one of those mornings where you just nibble and all of a sudden all the food is *poof* gone! It's not that it was transcendent food or anything, it was just food, but it was a great atmosphere and company, and I found the patio very comfortable. It made me want to stay a while. To be honest, the meatballs tasted a lot like the meatloaf. I think maybe they are the same thing in different shapes. The marinara sauce was very ordinary, but on a piece of toast it was a nice bite. The asparagus was crispy, but overall too oily. The wasabi ranch that came with it was delicious. The chips with blue cheese were great. The meatloaf meal was served with steamed veggies and they were just right. So, not a five star meal, but a great time enjoying being outside and relaxing with my two best buddies - the hubby and the dog - and an especially nice experience after what happened at that other place that shall not be mentioned ever again.
(3)
Violet D.
Excellent food and service! I stopped by Zia as it is close to my venue where I'm performing tonight. I ordered the nachos with carne avado. It was very, very good.
(5)
Sharie K.
Quaint atmosphere and yummy food! 9 in our party and everyone enjoyed their food.
(5)
Rachel S.
Really has gone downhill in the 13 years I've lived here. They still have great fish & chips, chicken enchiladas and Niçoise salad, but everything else is really a roll of the dice I'd prefer not to gamble on.
(2)
Kathryn G.
I saw this on DDD which of course Guy's opinions aren't always great buuuut I saw the salmon quesadilla and I just HAD to try it! In case that didn't work out I read a fellow Texan Yelper's rave about the chicken fried steak and thought it'd be good too. First of all as soon as I walked in I knew something was wrong and wanted to leave. There were waiters and waitresses walking around talking to one another and the place was so quiet and very empty (and this place is pretty big)... But the boyfriend was starving and just wanted to eat. So I couldn't even find the salmon quesadilla on the menu so I ordered my backup Chicken Fried Steak. Got the food and wow (not in a good way) the chicken fried steak was like those frozen steak fingers you might get if you were on the road at Dairy Queen. My broccoli tasted a little like fish (better not have been the salmon djejdjwnnskckska). The mashed potatoes I couldn't tell if they were real or the in the box kind. The only reason they got two stars was BC they had Guiness on tap and the white gravy was actually tasty. Overall very very disappointed two frozen dinners and two Guinesses for 45$... Felt ripped off. Waiter must have known food wasn't amazing bc he didn't come around much until plates almost empty and didn't ask how our food was. Staff seemed nice from their conversations with eachother...?
(2)
Napa G.
One of my staple places to visit while in Santa Fe. Good food and service. Their blue corn enchiladas are a must. It's a nice place to recharge before continuing gallery and shopping hoping!
(5)
Lyric K.
Zia's verve remains solely in their happy hour menu. Go from 3-6 on any weekday and sit in the bar or on the patio - try the coconut shrimp or any other app on their special menu for cheap. They're all pretty good, except the chicken wings (don't bother there). And they have house wine, beer, and margaritas for 4 bucks. But they have a full bar - so you can get anything really. Don't bother with the rest of the menu, it used to be good, but not so much anymore.
(3)
adam h.
Place is OK food wise, but our party got really rubbed the wrong way by the mgmt. My wife's brother turned 21 in December, 8 months ago, (as it clearly states on his valid CDL) but since his license is "vertical" they won't serve him a beer!!!?! Wtf manager admitted its not the law but instead a company policy....here's my policy-- eff off! We left and went to casa chimayo!!
(2)
Stevelyn P.
Have always liked Zia in the past. We have noticed this summer that the wait staff is always standing around talking to one another not serving customers. Last night was the topper! Worst service ever from Nathan. We were treated very poorly! After 2 glasses of wine, he refused to serve us. Which was fine. They have that right. They proceeded to make us feel very uncomfortable even though we were ordering food. They were just plain rude to the individual in our group who was drinking tea and paying the $116 dollar tab with cash. I accidentally left my $300 sunglasses on the patio table. Of course, they were not in the restaurant the next day. Surprise! Will never go back!
(1)
Joe T.
Tasty asparagus, amazing shepherds pie, and solid chili rellanos. Fun bluegrass jam session on Tuesdays. Great strawberry rhubarb pie!!! And delicious, generous sized lattes. Overall a great dinning experience.
(5)
Morrissey J.
Great New Mexico comfort food. The meatloaf is really good. Lots of space and a decent bar. The outside patio is a real plus. This is where locals go for simple, quick food.
(3)
KT R.
Food was OK. Nothing special. It came out so fast, I'm not sure how they could have cooked a chicken fried steak and liver/ onions that quickly (cooked to order?). It sort of reminded me of cafeteria food. First off, we asked if the mashed potatoes were REAL (like as in peeled freshly, boiled and mashed) I actually said real as in not in a box and the waitress quickly said Oh Yes! .....Well, first bite says NO WAY! (disappointment) The Cowgirl right across the way HAS REAL MASHED POTATOES! Anyway, the service was good and maybe too fast. Would we go back. probably not. Cowgirl is way better! Sorry guys. $35.00 is over the top for what we had.
(2)
Jeremy L.
Nice place. Hostess very nice. I got huevos rancheros, with over easy eggs. The eggs were a little overcooked for my taste. Side hashbrowns came with. The were too crusty on top and not cooked long enough in the middle. I got green chile and red child, neither was enough and I had to ask for more. Good size, though. The hostess seated me. Maybe there were 7 customers when I arrived, one right before me. 2 waiters kept walking passed me. Finally after almost 10 minutes, the hostess finally saw me agitated and took my order. The table that arrived before me and two after me received their food before me. I thought maybe because I was seated in an unattended section, but I was right at front next to steps and tables on either side of me and both waiters walked passed me, and also the person sat directly behind me had his order taken immediately. For the price of the breakfast and the emptiness of the establishment, I expected more.
(2)
steve d.
The meatloaf is the best item on the menu. It is moist and is nicely spiced with green chile and pinon nuts. It comes with mashed potatoes and gravy and steamed brocoli. The shepperd's pie is tasty and hearty. The fish and chips are just ok. The batter is very thin (which is good if you are watching calories) the fish is good but sometimes a little "fishy' tasting. The pecan crusted trout is good, nicely cooked, a decent sized portion. The mac and cheese is to be avoided as it lacks anything that would set it apart from Kraft's except for the green chile added. The Asiago cheese pie was thick and not light as one would expect. The roast turkey plate is boring something you would get at Furr's. The carne adovado had tender pork however it was too heavily spiced with cumin for my taste. The service is polite and efficient. I go there about once every two weeks, just for the meat loaf.
(3)
Sam A.
I recently got a new job by the Zia Diner, and I think the food has improved. The service has definitely improved. I usually get my orders to go, and every meal has been a gem. Sam, the usual person I see when I come in is always friendly and informative.
(4)
Barbara G.
Servers were nice, but service was slow for a family with 6 kids. Also over priced
(2)
Danielle M.
A previous disappointing experience had kept me out of the Zia Diner for about 2 years. Yesterday I went back. I showed up around 3:15 after a nearby hair appointment. So many restaurants close between lunch and dinner services in Santa Fe. If you don't know where to go, you could wind up a hungry and cranky tourist. I have seen many of them over the years. Not only is Zia Diner open in the middle of the afternoon, the bar was offering a happy hour menu. My hubby got the $2 PBR draft from the happy hour menu. They also had the full menu available in addition to the happy hour specials. Full menu at the bar and after 3 pm. , Zia Diner was redeeming itself. The happy hour crowd of locals that trickled in were the chatty eccentrics that only places with spiritual vortexes like Santa Fe can attract. I feel scarily peaceful and comfortable mingling with them. Maybe it was my delicious rye manhattan. I also shared a green chile and piñon meatball appetizer with my husband. The chunky marinara sauce covering the meatballs was excellent. The green chile didn't really do anything for me. Falan was a great bartender. She looked unusually busy for that time on a Tuesday. She kept up the pace and was smiling and sociable the whole time even though it was near the end of her shift. It really is a good little happy hour spot. I will go back if I happen to be over that way. I also noticed they were taking reservations for Thanksgiving....however, I didn't notice any televisions for football.
(4)
Nick S.
It's not the ritz, just a cool place on Guadalupe that is easy to be at. Happy hour works fine for us, as does a very good breakfast. You do feel a little forgotten on the patio with service, but the staff is friendly and accommodating. Go for happy hour drinks and menu, especially on the patio.
(4)
Kim W.
5 stars. Stopped in for happy hour. Had the best coconut shrimp ever. We also had the artichoke hearts (to die for) and had the fried pickles to try something new. The food was fantastic and at those happy hour prices you cannot beat it. The house margarita was great as was the house Chardonnay. Great food at great prices and good service!!
(5)
Paul N.
another good place to eat. great. try it
(3)
T M.
My wife and I like to frequent this place for happy hour, sometimes with friends or family, sometimes by ourselves. They have great $4 Margaritas and a decent array of happy hour eats, although I wish they had sliders. My wife loves the $3 green chile macaroni and cheese. The patio, which is seasonal, is a great place to hang out and sample the menu. So, here is the most important part, the Gazpacho, which is also seasonal(unfortunately), is one of the best meals I have ever had. If you are a fan of this cold soup, don't miss out on trying it here. It was featured on the food network. Good food, good service, check it out for yourself.
(4)
K K.
The staff was friendly and prompt. I ordered a malt for $7.50, which is crazy expensive for a malt. The flavors are limited to chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. I liked the texture and flavor, but still not worth the $7.50. I'll just go to the grocery next time.
(2)
Ryno C.
Hype, hype, hype! I had read the reviews, heard about the Food Network feature, seen the swanky location and was ready for something, anything! Instead, we got nothing. The one thing that did live up to reputation is the building. Beautifully decorated and full of space and light. Everything else: I ordered their "famous" green chile meatloaf. The green chile was nondescript, it seemed to have turned bland in the cooking process. The meat was OK, but nothing to die for. Toasted pine nuts were mixed in, like a last ditch effort to conjure up some hint of authentic flavor but to no avail. All while deep orange grease seeped from the loaf like a wrung sponge. Too much. The dish came with mashed potatoes and some tasty, yet murky zucchini. For a brief moment, I saw myself, 50 years in the future, stuffed away at an assisted living facility, eating the exact same meal. My significant other ordered the Santa Fe burger. Came out looking like just a hamburger and was noted as just a hamburger on our receipt, so they possibly got his order wrong. He said it tasted like hamburger, but stiff, by-the-book. The restaurant seemed to be run by minors. People sitting next to us complained about something. I probably could have listened harder, but I was afraid what I'd hear. Needless to say, the chef came out to apologize to the party and gave them a free meal. When we were on our way out, our server was getting reprimanded by another patron about some sort of mix-up. This place, while beautiful, feels entirely not OK.
(1)
Mandy O.
The place to be for happy hour- cheap food and beers and good house margaritas. We sat at the bar and had a mid afternoon snack and drink. Can't say I was digging the atmosphere of the whole place, but I am glad we stumbled in for a quick stop.
(4)
Dan H.
Finding something to eat shouldn't be this difficult. I honestly had my sights set on another place. It took me 30 minutes plus to find the place I wanted to eat at even though I was walking on the road that it was supposedly located. Anyway, long story short I ended up finding it only to find that it was closed. At that point of looking so long I had to find it at least. Yes, I was pissed off that it was closed. One door closes and another opens. I walked into a second restaurant in this part of town only to stand there for 5 minutes plus without being given a table. That was 4 minutes too long to wait for a table as this place wasn't even packed. Sorry. No time to seat me. No time for me to spend my money at your establishment. Two doors close and finally one opens. Zia Diner which I should have gone to in the first place was where I found my dinner. I walked in and was immediately seated and promptly greeted by my server. After walking around for so long I was hungry. I decided to go with Zia's Famous Meatloaf which had green chile and toasted pine nuts within. A side of broccoli and carrots and mashed potatoes and gravy completed the meal. I burned a lot of calories walking around and put them back on eating this food. Not a bad thing. The meatloaf was moist like it should be and the mashed potatoes with gravy (I'm not a gravy fan, but forgot to ask for it without) were not heavy like they can be. So, to sum up. Yes it took me three tries to find a meal in this part of town, but it takes 3 strikes for an out. I don't know what that has anything to do with anything, but it really makes you think. It really does.
(4)
Kimber S.
Yeah yeah yeah, so that fat tatted redneck TV "chef" featured this place on his show, but I won't hold that against the Zia Diner. It was within walking distance to our hotel in Santa Fe so we decided to start our Santa Fe pub crawl there as they have Happy Hour from 3 'til 6, even on the weekends, unlike most of the bars in SF. Walking into the building was like a time warp - it took me right back to 1982 with all the turquoise and pink with black accents. I didn't love the atmosphere, but hey, we were there for cheap drinks, and, as it turned out, cheap eats, too. My $4 HH margarita was fine and the hubby enjoyed a local beer they had on tap for $3. The star of this visit, however, was the green chili cheese fries! For $3 on the HH menu, we got a huge plate heaping with (what appeared to be) hand cut fries smothered in fantastically seasoned green chili and tons of melted cheddar cheese! It provided us with just enough sustenance to get our pub crawl rolling and we even had enough to take back to the hotel for a midnight snack!
(3)
Audrey A.
so disappointing. Ideal location, once good comfort food and pie. Now, it is insanely overpriced with nothing on the menu that stands out. It died years ago and should make way for good food in that great walking are.
(2)
Misun L.
Recommendation: Just OK RATING: 2.5 I read some reviews from the Food Network so I decided to check out this place. The food was just average, you can order dishes like enchiladas, meat loaf, pot roast with mashes potatoes, etc. We ordered the "Homemade Potatoes with Warm Wisconsin Blue Cheese".....(I know your mouth must be watering); however, they are not so spectacular, but definitely worth trying if you are around the area. (I posted a photo) We also tried the chicken enchiladas, and the plate definitely didn't look as full as a photo I found in yelp. Maybe I just ordered the wrong enchiladas, but anyhow, I posted a photo ! You can find the "Homemade Potatoes with Warm Wisconsin Blue Cheese" in the "appetizer section",: the cost is approximately $5.95. RECOMMENDED: "Homemade Potatoes with Warm Wisconsin Blue Cheese" Prices: most main dishes range from $11-$20. Appetizers: $5.95 and up Atmosphere: Casual, half of the restaurant looks like a diner and the other half looks like a bar
(3)
J A.
I had not been there before, but my wife said it was very good. We were in the area and decided to have lunch. She ordered the fish and chips, and I ordered the green chile chicken enchiladas. My wife enjoyed her meal, mine was OK but had more cilantro then green chile, Cilantro is OK, but less would have better, and more green chile would have had me thinking about going back. As it is, probably not.
(3)
Michaele M.
I ate breakfast here today based on positive reviews online. Nooooooo. The Santa Fe omelette was literally a bland scrambled egg on top of vegetables. Ummmmm, what??? ...aaaand it's $10.95 - you have got to be kidding me. I will not be returning.
(1)
Ami R.
Disappointing. My guy had the meatloaf. It was "fine ". Lackluster at best. I ordered the turkey meatball appetizer. I asked the waitress how salty they were. She said they were not. I found them to be almost inedible. I also asked her to go very light on the caesar salad dressing but it was drowning. Later when she asked "How are things", I replied "mixed reviews". She then ran away. That was that. Not impressed.
(1)
Kami L.
Restaurant stop #3 on the family road trip. I am automatically skeptical of places featured on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" because of my distrust of Guy Fieri and his overall taste, but this place really surprised me. First of all, the service was wonderful - we had a very attentive server with a great sense of humor. Second, the food was actually good! We were all eating lunch on the lighter side after snacking all morning, so we only ordered a few things: a side of sauteed spinach, a Santa Fe burger, green chile cheese fries, and a side salad. Everything tasted great. My side salad was surprisingly green and topped with jicama, which added freshness and a nice crunch. While the chile cheese fries were a little too cheesy for my liking, the chile part was quite tasty and just what I had hoped for. The four of us all left satisfied and sorry that we were too full to try a red velvet cupcake for dessert. Having arrived with low expectations and cynicism, I was pleasantly surprised by Zia's Diner and would probably go back.
(4)
Have On A.
Good service and quiet atmosphere, Mostly local and organic, but bland and tasteless food.
(1)
Zachary S.
Decent food, bad service, heavy smoke from the kitchen the whole 2 hours we were there. I do not recommend this place.
(2)
Whit R.
Our friends could not say enough good things about Zia Diner so of course it was the first place we ate in Santa Fe. These friends of ours will make a side trip to Santa Fe any time they are in the area - by area I mean within an hour's drive - just to eat there. OK, we're sold! We went for dinner on a Friday night and were sat right away. I would say it was busy but not crowded. We had the "classic nachos" as an appetizer. Whew! There was a whole heapin pile of nachos on that plate. They were delicious and we almost made a meal out of just those. Alas, we had already ordered full plates so we loosened our belts and dove back in. I had the blue corn chicken enchiladas which were very tasty but didn't change my life. The green salsa (which they put on almost everything down there - a SW Mex thing, I guess) was a nice change of pace and had good flavor. My wife had the chicken fried steak. DISCLAIMER - she routinely orders a better-tasting something than I do when we go out. This chicken-fried steak was excellent. I'm a fan, no doubt about that, and let's be honest: it's hard to screw up a chicken-fried steak. Even a "just OK" one is still pretty tasty. This was really really good. I abandoned my meal and helped her finish hers - we practically licked the plate clean. A stroke of good luck - the bar manager was on duty that night and makes an excellent manhattan. Score! We liked the Zia Diner but will probably skip it in favor of other places we haven't been before upon a return to Santa Fe.
(3)
Matthew C.
Went here as a recommendation from the concierge of our hotel, not impressed at all. I had the chicken southwest sandwich and my wife had a cobb salad. Neither were that great, mediocre quality ingredients. To top it all off the service was painfully slow. We sat in the restaurant for close to an hour before we got our food and when we finally got the bill it was probably about 1.5 hours total dining time (there were only about 4 other tables occupied in the whole restaurant). I would never go back here and I wouldn't recommend anyone to go. There are much better places in SF and there's no reason to waste your money eating here.
(2)
Lin N.
Great outdoor patio, frequent musical guests and decent food are the perfect accompaniments to a breezy summer evening at Zia's. Really good dressings on the salads, happy hour menu portions are big.
(4)
Edward H.
For starters, the booth we sat in was not as clean as I would like it to have been. The saltshaker was filled with dark spots and I asked the server about it. She returned with a second shaker with the same spots and informed me it was just pepper as they were refilling them and some pepper must have got inside. The draft beers should have been colder. They told us about a special on Heineken beer and we ordered it only to have the server come back and inform us they were sold out. Heck there were only 10 people in the place at best at 7:30 PM on a Monday, how can you have a special and tell people about it and not have it?? We tried the humus appetizer, which the portion was very huge, it was somewhat tasty but really thick and not the creamy style. They gave us a little pita bread, which was by no means enough to eat with the humus, and we found out later when we asked for more bread, they charged us for it. Either cut down on the portion of humus or give the customer more bread (and don't charge us for it either.) We ordered the chicken fried steak that was average, and then the turkey dinner plate. First of all, everything was bland. Both plates were covered in white bland gravy; the cornbread stuffing was extremely dry and chewy. We had a mound (the size of a softball) of broccoli and some carrots. The veggies were not seasoned either, bland and the carrots tasted a little "off". We also tried the Thai turkey meatballs. Once again, the meat was rubbery, the sauce resembled a Costco sauce, which was overpowering sugary, and the soy flavor was overly strong.
(1)
Caitlin A.
I'll start off by saying that my husband and I were both semi-regular at the Zia Diner for a couple of months. We liked the variety of food, the fact that gluten-free items were clearly labeled, the prices (particularly happy hour!), and we had only had good experience with the staff. I went to Zia for the happy hour with a friend and was told the nachos were gluten-free as well as the chile cheese fries--when I pressed the waitress, however, it turned out that the fries were fried in the same medium as breaded items which means they are NOT gluten-free for someone who has celiac disease or a wheat allergy. I don't blame the restaurant for this per se, it's something I should watch out for as a person with CD, but hopefully I can provide some education here. I returned this past week with my husband for happy hour and had the nachos again. My husband, who does not eat gluten-free, had the chicken wings and chile cheese fries. We both have experienced symptoms of food poisoning--I'll spare you the details--for the last 2 1/2 days and it can only be traced back to Zia. I really like the restaurant but I'm afraid we'll have to go somewhere else for future meals.
(2)
Walker S.
Excellent food and service, I recommend you give Zia a try. We enjoyed a light dinner with two of their small salads plus a small plate appetizer. I had the Zia cobb then enjoyed the delicious turkey meatballs. We both had a familiar California wine, St. Supery, excellent. With coffee we shared a special, coconut flan, truly excellent. Zia Diner service was terrific; our waiter Julie D was fabulous. We both liked Zia, will be going back next visit and recommend it.
(5)
Carrie D.
I saw The Zia Diner on Diner's, Drive-ins, and Dives and thought it looked interesting enough to warrant a visit. It is a strange combination of upscale diner and New Mexican restaurant that I am not sure works. The menu includes diner staples, New Mexican standards, and other random stuff like and Alsatian tarts and hummus. We ordered the following: Green chili cheese fries- large plate of fries covered in green chili and assorted cheeses. The chili was good but the whole plate seemed a little bland and could have benefited from a bit more seasoning and alot more salt. Blue corn enchiladas Christmas style (half red chili/half green chili)- The chili was OK but the chicken was bland and a little on the dry side. We got a peppermint shake to go. It was a delicious, creamy, old school diner shake. They were happy to split it into two cups for us...the "plastic" to-go cups are made of biodegradable maize, you call it corn. Overall I was not that impressed. I would not come back. Because Guy Fieri highly recommended this restaurant on "DD&D" I consider Zia Diner the first of several "Fieri-Fails" on this trip to New Mexico.
(2)
Kirsten S.
We ended up at Zia because the wait was so long at Tomasitas. Overall a good meal. The decor is fun and our server did a good job. I was in the mood for something light, so almost order the artichoke and Parmesan appetizer as my dinner. Thank goodness we were eating with locals who had eaten it before. I pictured several artichoke hearts sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. What you really get is a bowl of artichokes wth a creamy, cheese sauce that has been baked. We got it for the table to share and it was good, but very heavy. I did order the corn and avocado gazpacho which was great! I got the roasted beet salad, which was tasty but a bit over dressed. Everyone at the table thought that their food was fine, but no one was raving over it either. Maybe we didn't order the best things off the menu. I would be willing to try it again when we are back in Santa Fe.
(3)
Imo M.
The last visit was definitely at 3.5; this was is 1.5. WHY DID YOU MESS UP THE CAESAR, ZIA! I went to Santa Fe really wanting to go to Zia Diner (again), this time for their (in)famous Caesar Salad. Regrettably, the recipe for the entire salad has changed, and not for the better. The dressing is lame/tame (no kick anymore), and the so-called cheese they pile on it now might as well be shredded plastic bottles -- horrid. The only thing that tasted like the once delicious salad was the anchovy side. Needless to say that was my last visit to Zia Diner.
(2)
Jackie S.
I'm so disappointed with Zia Diner. This was one of the handful of restaurants open on a Sunday night. We had a group of 6 and were told that the seating would take 20-25 minutes. We kept on waiting for over 40 minutes and decided to leave the restaurant out of hunger. Poor management with the operations. There were some booths that were open and we could have squeezed our group. In addition, other parties were seated automatically when they entered the restaurant. I think the front desk coordinators wanted us to sit at a round table in the back of the restaurant, but a group occupied that space. Farewell to lost business. I wanted to try this place too!
(1)
Carl P.
Had the meatloaf with green chile; the broccoli was cooked very well and dinner overall was tasty. Also had the artichoke parmesan appetizer. Smithwick's on tap! The only downside was the rude as hell waitress / manager who stormed up the stairs yelling "c'mon, I've got babies at home, it's time to go!" there are nicer ways to let your patrons know that they have stayed past closing time. She must also work at Cowgirl.
(2)
Scot W.
A good, friendly diner with a pleasant atmosphere, creative foods and a good drink menu. Their beer list highlights some good microbrews, including some local beers. I had the santa fe pale ale and enjoyed it. I started with their corn and avocado gazpacho; it was excellent. The avocado was fresh, the peppers lent a great flavor to the soup and the corn provided a nice texture. The grilled asadero cheese sandwich with tomatoes was excellent; the tomatoes were fresh, the cheese was delicious, the bread was flavorful and it was all cooked well. The house made potato chips were okay, but not fantastic. On the whole, I would certainly recommend Zia's and, particularly, the gazpacho.
Buffalo liver and onions and banana cream shake can't be beat! Eggplant parm is somehow light and fluffy. Artichoke appetizer is delicious comfort food. Beautiful beet salad. Waiter was funny and had attitude while providing good service.
(4)
Gissel G.
Something must be said about the influence your waiter can have on your dining experience! We had an awesome waitres with a super warm smile. I only regret to not remember her name for this review. My husband had the highly recommended green chile and corn quiche. Wow! I had the meatloaf, which was also good, but I wish I would have ordered the quiche. The place has a open and fresh ambience, a bit retro sort of diner look. Overall, just wonderfully pleasant!
(4)
Melanie H.
I only had drinks and apps here but this was my experience- I loved this place and if I go back to Santa Fe, Zia will be the first place I eat. We chose Zia when we were in Santa Fe because it was featured on the Food Network. We stopped in on a weekday around 4pm. We ordered margaritas and chips and guac at the bar. They had about 7 different kinds of margaritas, I had the pomegranate margarita and my Mom had the Zia (tequila, triple sec, and lime juice). They were both outstanding, although the pomegranate suited my taste best. We had great service and really enjoyed ourselves. Zia is worth a try if you are in Santa Fe!
(5)
Susan Y.
Fabulous comfort food!! The meatloaf was perfectly spicy with the green chilis and the apple crumble pie was yummy. Excellent service and great variety of margaritas!
(4)
Eugenie T.
In my memory, The Zia Diner used to be better. Perhaps we ordered food-to-go too late in the day, or perhaps the take-out service is just careless. Whatever the reason, the meatloaf was dry and sorely needed the gravy that was not included in the order. The Corn, Green Chile & Asiago pie was far too egg-y and had no character. The weird dish was the Custard Bread Pudding -- a sliver of soggy bread and a 1/2-inch by 4-inch slab of slimy custard.
(2)
Langdon A.
Read about this place in several travel guidebooks, who were mostly positive. Stopped in for lunch during a short trip to Santa Fe. To begin with, the coffee was pretty lousy. Ordered the carrot ginger soup to start - good, not great. Ordered a cobb salad as main, which one of the guidebooks called the best cobb salad in town or something to that effect. Asked for it dressed only in olive oil (versus the raspberry vinaigrette they usually use, which seems unusual on a cobb), and asked that they toss it for me. Waitress begins hemming and hawing that she's not sure because they'd have to wash out a tossing bowl to do that, and that would require extra labor. Wow, I've never heard anything like that before. I always thought part of what I pay for at a restaurant is labor, but anyway, I didn't argue and she said she'd see what she could do. Well, I guess they did half the job - the salad arrived tossed, but with the olive oil on the side (which made the tossing largely pointless). For some bizarre reason they added olives on the salad, which don't go at all with a cobb salad, and they WEREN'T PITTED, which they didn't bother to tell me!!! I literally almost broke a tooth. The salad was rather small, considering it was described as entree sized, and the un-pitted, salty olives just got in the way. To top it off, the place struck me as surprisingly expensive for a diner. Between the food and drink, the unaccommodating service, and the prices, I really can't recommend The Zia Diner.
(1)
Kelly C.
**Review based on breakfast only. After spending a lovely hour at the Santa Fe Farmers Market, we strolled down the street to have breakfast at the Zia Diner. My bf and I waited about 10 minutes for a table and were seated with a smile. Our waitress was prompt and returned back quickly with our coffee. I decided to go with the Nutty New Mexican (Eggs Benedict with an NM twist) and my bf with the Huevos Rancheros. I had been reading about Zia Diner for awhile and was really excited to try it... however I wasn't too impressed. My eggs were over cooked, meat was a bit dry and english muffin had tasted like it had been frozen before heated- I almost couldn't cut it! I thought about ordering something else so my bf asked for another menu. Our waitress turned a bit sour towards us after that; didn't even bother to ask if everything was okay. I decided to just eat the eggs since we were in a bit of a hurry. My bf however, said his breakfast was pretty good! All in all, since I've been interested in Zia Diner for awhile, I do plan to return for dinner next time we visit and we'll see what happens then!
(3)
Barb M.
Great cobb salad. Switched the lettuce from romaine to organic salad greens. Lots of variety on the menu and the dishes going by all looked great. Very little (if any) difference in size between the side and full salad, so you could easily save some money by getting the side.
(4)
Jane G.
Easter Sunday. Brunch. Crowded. Of course. But we had perfect crispy asparagus, very good house-made chips, delicious shepherd's pie, salmon quesadilla (signature dish for a reason) awesome bread pudding. Tuna nicoise was just adequate. About the service: knowledgeable, helpful, patient on a day when the restaurant was really slammed.
(4)
Adam Issac W.
Beautiful patio and inside. Stay away from the bar menu. Worst wings I have ever had. We live in Santa Fe and have been here a lot. The regular menu - salads and appetizers are good?
(3)
Sara N.
i hadn't had a green chile cheeseburger in 3 years, so when i booked my trip to NM to visit my mom, it was on the list of must-dos while I was there. We had a trip to Santa Fe planned, and she suggested we try the Zia Diner while we were there. I had 3 day to build this cheeseburger up in my mind. To be honest, my expectations were quite low. I ordered my burger medium rare-medium, as I always do when I'm asked (a girl can dream), expecting to get the usual dry, crumbly well-done burger restaurants seem to churn out lately. imagine my utter delight when what landed on the table was a juicy, perfectly cooked, well-seasoned ideal version of a cheeseburger. my expectations were FAR exceeded. the fries were delicious too! service, was just OK, but it was monday at like 2, so that didn't really bother me.
(4)
Arley Rose T.
Not only was the food amazing, but the staff went above and beyond to make our meal a memorable experience. My girlfriend and I were passing through town when she recognized it from the diners drive ins and dives show so we went in. They were unusually busy since other restaurants were unexpectedly closed for the holidays. When my waitress came back to say my dish was sold out, she said my entree was on he house. Layer she returned to tell my girlfriend that her dish was sold out as well, and that she would also get a free entree. After some scrumptious nachos and a few drinks, our waitress came back to say she had spoken to her manager and that our entire meal was on the house!!! I had the chicken Marsala and it was better than homemade! Great food and a professional, generous staff made our visit to sante fe a very delicious and memorable one! Thanks zia diner! We'll be back!
(5)
Douglas S.
I have to give this place four stars cause I am a fan. I used to live within walking distance, the food is good, the portions are appropriate and they are open until 10pm everyday. It's hard to find places open that late in Santa Fe except bars and of course Atomic grill. I've had the chicken fried chicken and the eleven dollar meat loaf. The chicken fried chicken was a tasty dish and the serving size was the perfect amount of food. It was so unlike any other chicken fried anything I've ever had. It almost looked healthy. The meatloaf was good as well. The service was fine. The only bad choice was my dining partner. We somehow always went there after an argument. Oh well, that's why she's my ex and as far as I'm concerned The Zia is a keeper.
(4)
PBJ L.
The huevos rancheros is to Die for! Esspresso is superb. We met a local who eats here EVERY morning for breakfast. No wonder. Staff is friendly prompt and helpful. Definitely coming back.
(5)
Robert J.
Fully agree with the negative reviews. Very mediocre food that is overly priced, & below average service. If you leave your hotel to eat, but still want to pay hotel prices, this is your place. 2 eggs, 2 (not 3 or 4) small slices of bacon, some shredded & very undercooked hash browns, 2 pieces of toast & coffee = $13.00 + tip. Was seated by a host who apparently forgot he had seated us. Only 3 tables occupied when we arrived, but when no one arrived at our table we returned to the front & found the host & 2 servers looking at photos, & totally oblivious to the fact that the host had actually seated customers who were waiting for service. 1 in our party ordered a "house specialty" (beef hash) on the menu, but after sitting for another 10 minutes the waitress returned to tell us they were "out". If you give special listings to "house specialties" on the menu, you should be able to serve them. My order only included 1 egg, though it was listed as 2 on the menu, but didn't want to complain & have to wait for that to be brought to the table. Shredded hash browns "could have" been good, but we all found them to be totally tasteless. Ever heard of peppers, onions, seasoning? Did not appear to have even been salted or peppered. Just shredded, thrown on a grill, undercooked & served. Boom. Done with it. And we buy better red &/or green chili in a can than what was served on these dishes. Sorry folks, but this place does not make the grade. On a positive note: lovely building interior; nice location; might return to sit on the patio & see if the bartender is any better than the cook.
(2)
Karen S.
Wow, not a great value. Ordered a $12.00 main dish salad that was pitifully small. this used to be a great place for good food. Sad..
(2)
Ron F.
Another top ranking for a Triple D eatery in NM for us! We really enjoyed the trip and the tastes in this town. The Zia Diner is in old town Santa Fe, but it appears to be a much nicer area than old town Albuquerque. The eatery is upscale for the price, nice, modern, very clean. Staff very friendly. We were there for lunch on a Thursday around 1:30PM, and had no wait to be seated or served. We decided to try an appetizer. We picked crispy asparagus with wasabi-ranch dipping sauce. Best appetizer I've ever had. Very tasty batter and veggies were al dente. Dipping sauce had a little kick. For the main course I had the Chile Relleno with black beans and rice. The egg was fluffy, the chile not over done and the cheese just melted enough to where it formed a number of strings as I pulled it from the plate and shoved it into my mouth! My wife had the Ahi Tuna Nicoise over romaine with lemon-dijon dressing, roasted beets, feta cheese and red chile pecans. We had ice water with lemon to drink at no charge. Total bill, $31 plus tip. This is another place to pencil in for eats when in old town Santa Fe. While we didn't have a chance to try the breakfast or dinner menu, we are sure you'll be pleasantly rewarded with any items you choose to eat.
(5)
Rennie C.
The Zia was on my "to do" list for awhile, and we finally dined there last week for lunch. We started our meal with the sinful homemade potato chips topped with blue cheese-----oh, so YUMMY!. After that, I needed to order a salad, and tried the goat cheese salad with chicken, which was divine, while my companion had the Organic NM Burger with sauteed onions. Our service was just okay---our waitperson forget a few things, but what she lacked in precision, she made up for with a great attitude. See ya at the Zia.
(4)
Marin R.
Depressing atmosphere. Patio okay. Food very mediocre. My meatloaf looked terrible, like it could have been cooked a few days before and left sitting on the counter.
(2)
Ron V.
My 2 buddies and I stopped here to eat on a snowy Monday afternoon. I had the famous meatloaf, my buddies ordered the blue corn chicken enchiladas and the corn, green chili and Asiaga pie. Portions were quite satisfactory, and my meat loaf was above average, just not in the fantastic stage. The bite my buddy gave me of the Asiaga Pie was great! Enchiladas were also average to above average. Place is worth a trip but not outstanding, in my opinion. Bloody Mary's were excellent and our server very nice....no stains on the carpet either, (Denny L!)
(3)
Joey G.
What an eclectic place, totally cute-- aesthetically speaking. I had the breakfast burrito which was mediocre at best. The filling of the burrito was good and crisp. But aside from that there was nothing special about it. My better half had the beef green/red enchiladas which left a puddle of grease hanging out in the middle of the plate. I tried the place because I'd seen it on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and now am afraid that it may be some Santa Fe tourist trap. Nothing is authentic New Mexico here so don't expect it. American (Traditional) I guess one could say, Mexican not so much.
(2)
D M.
The Zia is always amazing. The food is great, they're moving more and more to local and sustainable ingredients which makes all the difference in my book. The employees are what really make the difference here, nothing like hanging out at the bar and having a chat with the locals. I also hear they are doing Tuesday night $5 pizza specials or something so look out Santa Fe happy hour!
(5)
Kathy B.
I came here for breakfast, while visiting my Mom and was dissapointed. I had Eggs Benedict and my food was ok and the service was poor. For being a diner on the DDD tour recommended by Guy, I would not recommend it at all. It looked like they had a limited menu for breakfast. Maybe the nightlife is better, the inside was nice and had a large bar area. Kathy B
(2)
Natalie C.
Sadly let down. I had high hopes for this place because I had seen it featured on the food network. The food featured seemed delicious but I didn't see it offered on the menu when I visited. Possibly a different chef? Change in menu? What I did get was the Hot Roast Turkey Plate with cornbread stuffing and I was unimpressed. My friend had the meatloaf and was unhappy as well. A bummer.
(2)
Amy B.
This reminds me of a tired TGI Fridays with New Mexican decor. We went on a Sunday afternoon and the host was very pleasant and accommodating. Fortunately it was HH so left without a hit to the wallet for so-so food and chain atmosphere.
(2)
Diane L.
This is a great place with a menu that should please most taste buds. I had a late, after-concert dinner here with a friend and we were really pleased. The avocado & corn Gazpacho was really tasty, as was the roasted beet and goat cheese salad that I had. My companion had a green chile and corn pie that was excellent, a unique dish with loads of flavor. Prices are reasonable and service was good.
(3)
HoustonBuffalo S.
We took a group of 12 to this diner bc it was close to our hotel, one of our party had had lunch there, and said it was good. We wanted to all have breakfast together before we departed SF. We called ahead to make sure we could be accomodated and whom ever answered seemed put off by our request for a table together. The place was absolutely dead when we wlaked in, maybe 5 tables on a saturday at nearly 9am. We were seated and given menus, and our waitress did explain that kids items were available for breakfast even though they were not indicated on the menu. The waitress seemed very put off by our group, and seemed to be slammed with out side tables and our large table. There were probably 4-5 other employees walking around but none of them helping her. She brought skim milk for the children and then when both tasted it and rejected it she informed us that they were out of whole milk. Maybe before you give 2 6 yr olds skim milk, it would be a good idea to ask if that would be ok, or maybe something else. Our food took a normal amout of time, but from the time our drinks were delivered until the time the food arrived, she never came back to check on us. No one had coffee left, empty water glasses, and when we asked for coffee, she snapped at us that she hadn't finished delivering our food. No shit! Maybe if you gave a crap about our table, or asked for help from another server, we would have had a coffee refill within 25 minutes of our first cup. This servers attitude was classic auto-gratuity. She knew she was going to get 18%, so why try hard. Don't go to places like this in towns with so much excellent food and service, just don't. The food was fine, but the service was indefensible.
(2)
Kate E.
I've always loved Zia Diner, but today (4-5-13) I got a Cobb salad to go and it was downright inedible. It 1) tasted bad, 2) was soggy with dressing when dressing should ALWAYS be on the side for to-go orders because one never knows when the customer is planning to eat it (mine was intended for supper but it was already dressed so I had to eat it at 3:30 PM when I picked it up), 3) was not fresh at all, and 4) IT HAD A FLY IN IT ! Which means the lettuce was not washed, which it probably why the taste was off. I will be going to Flying Star for my Cobbs to go from now on, because they are consistently good. I hope the manager of Zia reads this review.
(2)
Barb C.
It was such a waste of time. The chili rellenos were indelible as the batter/crust was sooo thick and greasy. The hash browns were soggy and greasy. And the red chili sauce was bland and such a disappointment. The service was somewhat slow and overall substandard. We tried some place new and are so angry at ourselves that we wasted a meal at Zias when we could have gone to the pantry.
(1)
D S.
We've been to Zia many times being residents here and brought my parents for breakfast this morning. One of the coffees they brought was cold. The waitress was 'ok' but it took her a little too long to get to the table to take the order. Then we waited, and waited and waited. Interestingly I noted that of the 3 dishes we ordered, two of the exact same ones were delivered to a nearby table that had been seated and ordered after us. She never came to the table to ask but when we nodded at her to come by and asked about the delay, she said she was sorry and there was a problem but she could bring out what parts were ready. She brought out one meal (minus one side) and the fruit salad side of one of the other meals. Then she brought out the missing side and one of the other meals several minutes later. We continued to wait on one eggs benedict. And wait. It seemed odd to be waiting on this particular dish as it doesn't seem to require that much cooking time or prep work. The others at the table ate for at least 10-15 minutes before the final dish was brought. I told her that we were regular patrons here and this just wasn't okay and we hoped the manager would take care of the issue. Her responses were neither very conciliatory or apologetic but I didn't want to blame her for the problem. They removed the eggs from the bill and offered a free dessert. Service was marginal. My suspicion is that the expediter may have brought our food to the other table incorrectly and then it had to be made again. But still, it took forever. We will not return. Very disappointing.
(1)
Bruce R.
Great nachos and cobb salad!
(4)
Jonus M.
The food isn't bad but I don't think there is a lot to say about it either. I do like the dining experience its just that the food is seemingly made to appeal to the midwestern tourist tastes or something. The green chile isn't very hot or tasty, just a completely "Meh" experience.
(2)
Clare M.
Once upon a time the Zia had a damn fine Shepherds Pie and thick as mud milkshakes. The last 2 times I have eaten at the Zia Diner my food has obviously been frozen. How do I know this, because the same two times my food was served to me it was all hot and bubbly around the ends and a solid block of ice made up the center. You're better off running to Albertsons and grabbing a Stouffer's lasagna for $3.99.
(2)
David G.
Really enjoyed it. Service great. Meatloaf really good. Green chili chicken stew really good.
(5)
Jen S.
Warning: if you are on a budget, go else where! Diner food at outrageous prices! This place must think they are something special to rob you like they do. Food is average at best and you do not get what you pay for! Won't be going back anytime soon when there are much better restaurants here in Santa Fe.
(2)
Michael G.
Not what it was. Too bad. Now torn booths and impatient service. Food quality has slipped. Seems like they have resigned themselves to living off the tourist trade instead of being a unique part of Santa Fe.
(1)
Brandon B.
Kudos to meat loaf with pine nuts and green chili, but instant mashed potatoes really? Bread pudding was very plain with a jello like substance.
(3)
Debbie W.
I came here for lunch because it was recommended by the hotel I stayed at. Good location near the Railyard. Nice atmosphere, good server. The food was just okay. I had a cobb salad and an artichoke appetizer. They were really heavy and kind of bland, almost no lettuce on salad and for some odd reason they didn't have caesar salad dressing (hence no caesar salad). On the whole, it was okay, but not great.
(3)
Dave S.
Zia Diner beat all expectations. I'm sad to say I've eschewed this place for years because I never wanted to go to a "diner." That was definitely a mistake. We started with a plate of their homemade potato chips with bleu cheese, which is a must-have. I had a smoked salmon quesadilla for lunch, and it was great, but all the while I was eyeing my friend's green chile mac & cheese. I finally aquired a bite and it was every bit as good as it looked. Zia will be on my list from now on as a great spot for lunch in Santa Fe.
(4)
Erika D.
Zia was delicious! We went on a Monday around 4 and sat on the patio. It was pretty empty because of the time and day, so our service was totally fine (thanks, Sam!). We started with the warm blue cheese homemade patio chips. These were pretty good, and very different from anything we had tried before which was fun. The green chile and asiago pie was huge and awesome. Hummus was delicious. Blue corn enchiladas also really good. The menu is super eclectic with a big variety. Love that the food is sustainable and organic!
(4)
Marty M.
Had the salmon quesadillas for appetizer wow they were great. Then dinner had blue corn chicken enchiladas they were also very good. Great atmosphere and decor.
(5)
Karen T.
This is not your average diner. Zia diner offers free range meat and it's delicious. We tried the Zia meatloaf with green chile and pinon. As well as the Asiago Pie. The asiago pie had roasted corn and green chile. Equally delicious. For desert the Custard bread pudding...delicious! It is a bit pricey, but worth the quality and portions.
(4)
Evangeline O.
I tried eating here in The Zia Diner once and I really want to go back with some of my friends. The experience was the best! The place has a cool ambiance which makes me relaxed. The interior designs was nice, stylish and everything is clean. The waiter was also patient and friendly. He helped me choose the best from their menu. The food was fulfilling! My tummy was full and satisfied that night! Thanks Zia Diner!
(5)
Erin P.
Down town fair..... a little depressed the food is touch and go, my crab cakes came over cooked but my crunchy goat cheese salad was divine, dessert was not worth the calories. On a positive note, its close to down town shops, open late and they use vinyl not latex gloves for those of us with allergies this is a safe but not exciting bet..
(2)
Jeff L.
Zia has been an institution in Santa Fe for so long, it is sad to see it headed down hill. During my last trip there, the meatloaf was dismal and the vegetables on the side were just beyond rotten. Plus they eliminated the grilled tuna sandwich, which was my favorite.
(2)
Leahi M.
I was very disappointed with the Shepherd's pie here. A bunch of my friends ordered food to-go and all of us had very upset stomachs all night. Too bad, I've heard great things, but won't go back.
(2)
Rebeccah M.
While I mostly enjoyed our dinner at Zia Diner, there was nothing that really impressed me. The margaritas were fairly strong, the food was simple but not creative, and the service was friendly, but not outstanding. Overall it was fine, but there are a lot better restaurants in Santa Fe.
(2)
Anna K.
Excellent! Very tasty burgers and amazing meat loaf! And it's grass-fed too, so very healthy as well!
(5)
John K.
This place has a very lovely decor and good service. The menu is a step above diner food and contains a few interesting dishes. I ordered the blue corn enchiladas, and they were average, compared to the ones at Pascual's or Rancho de Chimayo. In many cities, this place would be considered a top spot, but when compared to other eateries in Santa Fe, this place falls short.
(3)
Elyse K.
What a great, solid spot. When visiting family the day after Thanksgiving, you're not quite sure if you feel like eating again, but the menu got me back in the mood! The space is an open warehouse-type building but with kind of tacky early 90's decor. I would strip the entire place down to the original bare bones and throw some updated lighting and cement or bamboo flooring. The menu consists of great comfort food with tons of organic and local ingredients. I had a Green Chile, Corn and Asiago Pie (aka quiche). It might have been the most amazing quiche ever and I'm quite the quiche connoisseur. Tobin could care less about quiche and will not even try mine when i order, but this time i insisted and he went back for a second bite. Success! The entire group enjoyed their meals, salads, sandwiches, buffalo burger and meat loaf. There were also creamy frosty milkshakes and hot-toddy drinks. A nice warm Irish coffee will take the frost off your nose. The staff was more than accommodating for our group of 8 adults and 4 kids at last minute's notice. My one water pet-peeve was not quite satisfied as we had to ask for refills, but other than that, i was very pleased.
(4)
kate c.
The breakfast burritos were wonderful! and I know chef Rocky Durham is helping out there, which should bring up the less than good reviews here!
(5)
staci b.
An Organic Diner. The best concept ever. You feel less guilty about stuffing your face with the buffalo burger, or the farm fresh fries. The pies are the best. I am a big fan of pie. I would eat at the Zia again. While I was there in Santa Fe I went back 3 times. Once just for pie....
(4)
Susan L.
We had lunch at the Zia Diner on November 5 and it has a very pleasant atmosphere. Our vegetarian lasagna was delicious and our server was terrific; she was very warm, friendly & attentive. The manager was also very friendly.
(5)
Cecilia B.
This is a great spot in Santa Fe for some "American" food. I had the Turkey Club with a Peppermint milkshake, and I was in heaven. The sandwich was huge, its a triple decker, and it came with their own potato chips. My mom had their Chile Relleno and cup of Lentil soup and that was delicious as well. This restaurant has won Restaurant of the Year awards many times. Its deserving. Try it if you are in town.
(5)
Anne L.
This place is wonderful! Especially great for gluten free! Lots of selection for gluten free people. Yum! Their chicken pot pie is amazing!!! My husband loved the meatloaf! The Best!!
(5)
Dean W.
Summary: Great comfort food, Great service! I also highly recommend the house Homemade chips with warm Wisconsin Blue cheese! Last year was good so we decided to try again. Really really good. The serving of meatloaf my father-in-law received was the biggest I've ever seen a restaurant provide. The turkey in my wife's turkey-melt was real turkey meat not prepackaged slices. The batter on my mother-in-law's fish-in-chips was nicely crisp not soggy. My 9-grain-bread Asadero melt was totally yummy!
(4)
Emma S.
I did not particularly enjoy this place. The food and service were just ok, but most certainly not a wow. The booth was a bit dirty and the decor was an odd John Travolta meets the Mayans.
(3)
Tiffany S.
The Zia Dinner and I go way back. This was the first restaurant I ate at in Santa Fe. This was the restaurant where my parents first met my boyfriend. The Zia also happens to be the place I miss eating the most. They make the best vegetarian burger I have ever had. It is actually better than a meat hamburger. Shockingly, amazingly, time to let the little cows live and throw away my coat better. Also recommended would be their Shepard's pie (with green chili of course!) As an appetizer, it is all about the spinach dip - my roommate and I would go and seriously just eat this stuff for lunch. It is beyond yummy and chock full o' oil, but not in a greasy way...in a Mediterranean way! Good luck finding it if you're new to or just visiting Santa Fe. Insider secret? It is on a street that seriously seems to jump up and move whenever you get near it...so treat Guadalupe like a magnet. Instead of directly driving at it, try to approach it from the side, or try to coax it over to you. Once you actually manage to find Guadalupe, there is a parking lot in the back, you could potentially waste hours trying to park on the street around here.
(4)
Rain M.
Pros: Great food; reasonable prices; great variety on the menu; they use natural, free-range chicken and grass-fed beef. Cons: The service is inconsitent, but if you're aware of that going in, it doesn't have to be a big deal or ruin your meal. Keep in mind that this is a diner, not a fancy restaurant. If you go in expecting a diner, you should be very happy with your meal and overall experience. Try the chicken marsala--it's my favorite. Their milkshakes and malts are also great.
(4)
Sam D.
Not the greatest but not the worst, in the middle, I mean I would come back here and eat, and even tell people to go here for diner food. It is a little over priced though.
(3)
Kori S.
I crave comfort food. I dream about it. Enter the Zia Diner, the dream come true. I had the green chile, asiago cheese and corn pie(it was a 4inch high quiche) with a mixed green salad, dressed deliciously. I also had a cup of cream of celery soup. Zia, your on my short list of reasons to visit Santa Fe.
(5)
Jennifer N.
try the hot organic apple cider. it's like drinking an apple pie.
(4)
H D.
We ate lunch here. I had a salad with chicken which was quite tasty. The restaurant was very comfortable and the service friendly. A bit pricey, but then again this is Santa Fe.
(3)
N A.
I thought the food here was good but mediocre. It's called a diner but pretty upscale and pricey. I'm not complaining about that part, but the food we had was just okay. I really wanted to like this place more though:-(..
(3)
Mark A.
Food is good, but service is slow. It consistently gets rated for good for kids, but not sure why. Having been there 3 times this year, it always turned out to be a bad experience with our kids, b/c its very difficult to have your 2 and 4 year old wait 30 minutes for their meals.
(3)
Joshua K.
The food was great, priced right, and staff were awesome! Made our 5th anniversary special! The trout melted in my mouth...and you must hold out room for dessert, the rhubarb/strawberry pie, yum!
(4)
Steven P.
The Zia is an anchor in Santa Fe. Yes, a lot of the food is in the comfort category, but it is distinctly Santa Fe'ish none the less. It is almost always open when other places are closed (7 days) and it stays open reasonably late (most places in Santa Fe do not). Other reviews list some good choice dishes, but let me encourage non-vegetarians to try their buffalo burger which comes standard with sweet potato fries that are the best in Santa Fe. There are daily blue plate specials the best of which are the Pot Roast on Thursdays and the Fish and Chips on Friday of course. The restaurant is located in an old garage, but in typical Santa Fe style the inside is really neat and has a good energy (as people in Santa Fe are prone to say) -- though the back overflow area near the bar has low ceilings and is not as cool a space. On cold winter days its comfy, and the patio in summer is nice, but at all times its the place locals gravitate to when they can't make up their mind about where else to go. Most food is quite good and not overly fancy. Prices are reasonable. You can usually park in the lot in the back, but if not a place on the street or a stolen spot in the nearby Sambusco Center will work. If you are not local, look up what a "zia" is and correlate it to the symbols you will see. Not a hot spot -- but your cellphone works there. Service is almost always very good (wait service, that is.). The hostess is usually cute and dresses for the part-- and funnily enough I've danced with about 3 that I knew there. I've never seen a place that went through hostesses as fast as the Zia... but I digress... its really about the food.
(4)
Joe O.
Great place to go when you want home style cooking with southwest options. They also make good margaritas. Ask for a booth on the upper level or sit outside in the summer.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
Michael M.
Great food! Really nice patio area. Really beer selection too.
(5)deborah p.
Santa Fe's best place for delicious, fresh comfort food at a good value. They make the best fried chicken in town and the Southern Fried Chicken Salad with mango and jicama is a fabulous favorite! Pies are excellent as are the outrageous chocolate espresso brownies! Consistently warm, friendly, service too!
(5)Michele L.
Horrible customer service. Waited ten minutes for staff to notice us. It's 6:00 pm . Not even that busy. Food was good, but bad customer servise. Won't be back ......
(2)Lauren N.
Smack in the middle of historic arts district of Santa Fe. Small shops surrounding the small looking store front but once you go around the building to the entrance you're welcomed by friendly greeters and wait staff who are eager to accommodate your every need! ( my phone happened to die while searching for a museum and they were kind enough to sit me next to a plug so I could power up!) being from out of town, that was huge!!
(3)Seeds L.
We stopped there on the road to have a breakfast. Staff is very welcoming, fast order and tasty. I would like to get a chance to eat there but are already back on the road.
(4)Cindy L.
I was very pleased with the service, the atmosphere, and the food. I had the chicken piccata, gazpacho, and sangria. all were very good. The sangria was a little too tart, but I added a little Splenda and it tasted fine. The gazpacho was excellent. The entree came with mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus. The menu has a comfort food section which Included meatloaf. My husband liked his meatloaf. For the price I give it four stars.
(4)Rick Y.
Don't quite understand this place. Stopped in once and had a delightful evening - helpful wait staff, great dinner (crusted trout), and pretty good drinks (they could stand to offer more variety on tap - but then again I'm an acknowledged beer snob). Made a return visit for happy hour a few days later and had weak drinks (if you offer a happy hour, make sure you give your patrons some HAPPY!!!), pretty sub-mediocre bites, and a disappearing wait staff. Sat on the patio because it was a gorgeous day, but felt like this was their back alley. READ: Someone bring in a pressure cleaner and blast the carpet of grease and food stain on the patio floor away. Basically this place is a gamble - you pay your money and you take your chances.
(2)Quinn A.
After being unexpectedly shut out of Cowgirl Diner (see my review, it's short and to the point), I stood there on the curb with my dog and wondered where to go, where to go. Then I saw it - the Zia, and I heard those radio commercials in my head (see ya at the Zia!), so I dialed them up and asked them if I could bring Augusta the Blue Heeler on to their patio. They said yes, so we made our way across the street. Husband ordered the meatloaf and I went full Sunday glutton and ordered the green chile pine nut meatballs with marinara sauce, the fried asparagus, and the house made potato chips with blue cheese. Oh my gosh, I thought I'd be taking at least some of it home with me, but it was one of those mornings where you just nibble and all of a sudden all the food is *poof* gone! It's not that it was transcendent food or anything, it was just food, but it was a great atmosphere and company, and I found the patio very comfortable. It made me want to stay a while. To be honest, the meatballs tasted a lot like the meatloaf. I think maybe they are the same thing in different shapes. The marinara sauce was very ordinary, but on a piece of toast it was a nice bite. The asparagus was crispy, but overall too oily. The wasabi ranch that came with it was delicious. The chips with blue cheese were great. The meatloaf meal was served with steamed veggies and they were just right. So, not a five star meal, but a great time enjoying being outside and relaxing with my two best buddies - the hubby and the dog - and an especially nice experience after what happened at that other place that shall not be mentioned ever again.
(3)Violet D.
Excellent food and service! I stopped by Zia as it is close to my venue where I'm performing tonight. I ordered the nachos with carne avado. It was very, very good.
(5)Sharie K.
Quaint atmosphere and yummy food! 9 in our party and everyone enjoyed their food.
(5)Rachel S.
Really has gone downhill in the 13 years I've lived here. They still have great fish & chips, chicken enchiladas and Niçoise salad, but everything else is really a roll of the dice I'd prefer not to gamble on.
(2)Kathryn G.
I saw this on DDD which of course Guy's opinions aren't always great buuuut I saw the salmon quesadilla and I just HAD to try it! In case that didn't work out I read a fellow Texan Yelper's rave about the chicken fried steak and thought it'd be good too. First of all as soon as I walked in I knew something was wrong and wanted to leave. There were waiters and waitresses walking around talking to one another and the place was so quiet and very empty (and this place is pretty big)... But the boyfriend was starving and just wanted to eat. So I couldn't even find the salmon quesadilla on the menu so I ordered my backup Chicken Fried Steak. Got the food and wow (not in a good way) the chicken fried steak was like those frozen steak fingers you might get if you were on the road at Dairy Queen. My broccoli tasted a little like fish (better not have been the salmon djejdjwnnskckska). The mashed potatoes I couldn't tell if they were real or the in the box kind. The only reason they got two stars was BC they had Guiness on tap and the white gravy was actually tasty. Overall very very disappointed two frozen dinners and two Guinesses for 45$... Felt ripped off. Waiter must have known food wasn't amazing bc he didn't come around much until plates almost empty and didn't ask how our food was. Staff seemed nice from their conversations with eachother...?
(2)Napa G.
One of my staple places to visit while in Santa Fe. Good food and service. Their blue corn enchiladas are a must. It's a nice place to recharge before continuing gallery and shopping hoping!
(5)Lyric K.
Zia's verve remains solely in their happy hour menu. Go from 3-6 on any weekday and sit in the bar or on the patio - try the coconut shrimp or any other app on their special menu for cheap. They're all pretty good, except the chicken wings (don't bother there). And they have house wine, beer, and margaritas for 4 bucks. But they have a full bar - so you can get anything really. Don't bother with the rest of the menu, it used to be good, but not so much anymore.
(3)adam h.
Place is OK food wise, but our party got really rubbed the wrong way by the mgmt. My wife's brother turned 21 in December, 8 months ago, (as it clearly states on his valid CDL) but since his license is "vertical" they won't serve him a beer!!!?! Wtf manager admitted its not the law but instead a company policy....here's my policy-- eff off! We left and went to casa chimayo!!
(2)Stevelyn P.
Have always liked Zia in the past. We have noticed this summer that the wait staff is always standing around talking to one another not serving customers. Last night was the topper! Worst service ever from Nathan. We were treated very poorly! After 2 glasses of wine, he refused to serve us. Which was fine. They have that right. They proceeded to make us feel very uncomfortable even though we were ordering food. They were just plain rude to the individual in our group who was drinking tea and paying the $116 dollar tab with cash. I accidentally left my $300 sunglasses on the patio table. Of course, they were not in the restaurant the next day. Surprise! Will never go back!
(1)Joe T.
Tasty asparagus, amazing shepherds pie, and solid chili rellanos. Fun bluegrass jam session on Tuesdays. Great strawberry rhubarb pie!!! And delicious, generous sized lattes. Overall a great dinning experience.
(5)Morrissey J.
Great New Mexico comfort food. The meatloaf is really good. Lots of space and a decent bar. The outside patio is a real plus. This is where locals go for simple, quick food.
(3)KT R.
Food was OK. Nothing special. It came out so fast, I'm not sure how they could have cooked a chicken fried steak and liver/ onions that quickly (cooked to order?). It sort of reminded me of cafeteria food. First off, we asked if the mashed potatoes were REAL (like as in peeled freshly, boiled and mashed) I actually said real as in not in a box and the waitress quickly said Oh Yes! .....Well, first bite says NO WAY! (disappointment) The Cowgirl right across the way HAS REAL MASHED POTATOES! Anyway, the service was good and maybe too fast. Would we go back. probably not. Cowgirl is way better! Sorry guys. $35.00 is over the top for what we had.
(2)Jeremy L.
Nice place. Hostess very nice. I got huevos rancheros, with over easy eggs. The eggs were a little overcooked for my taste. Side hashbrowns came with. The were too crusty on top and not cooked long enough in the middle. I got green chile and red child, neither was enough and I had to ask for more. Good size, though. The hostess seated me. Maybe there were 7 customers when I arrived, one right before me. 2 waiters kept walking passed me. Finally after almost 10 minutes, the hostess finally saw me agitated and took my order. The table that arrived before me and two after me received their food before me. I thought maybe because I was seated in an unattended section, but I was right at front next to steps and tables on either side of me and both waiters walked passed me, and also the person sat directly behind me had his order taken immediately. For the price of the breakfast and the emptiness of the establishment, I expected more.
(2)steve d.
The meatloaf is the best item on the menu. It is moist and is nicely spiced with green chile and pinon nuts. It comes with mashed potatoes and gravy and steamed brocoli. The shepperd's pie is tasty and hearty. The fish and chips are just ok. The batter is very thin (which is good if you are watching calories) the fish is good but sometimes a little "fishy' tasting. The pecan crusted trout is good, nicely cooked, a decent sized portion. The mac and cheese is to be avoided as it lacks anything that would set it apart from Kraft's except for the green chile added. The Asiago cheese pie was thick and not light as one would expect. The roast turkey plate is boring something you would get at Furr's. The carne adovado had tender pork however it was too heavily spiced with cumin for my taste. The service is polite and efficient. I go there about once every two weeks, just for the meat loaf.
(3)Sam A.
I recently got a new job by the Zia Diner, and I think the food has improved. The service has definitely improved. I usually get my orders to go, and every meal has been a gem. Sam, the usual person I see when I come in is always friendly and informative.
(4)Barbara G.
Servers were nice, but service was slow for a family with 6 kids. Also over priced
(2)Danielle M.
A previous disappointing experience had kept me out of the Zia Diner for about 2 years. Yesterday I went back. I showed up around 3:15 after a nearby hair appointment. So many restaurants close between lunch and dinner services in Santa Fe. If you don't know where to go, you could wind up a hungry and cranky tourist. I have seen many of them over the years. Not only is Zia Diner open in the middle of the afternoon, the bar was offering a happy hour menu. My hubby got the $2 PBR draft from the happy hour menu. They also had the full menu available in addition to the happy hour specials. Full menu at the bar and after 3 pm. , Zia Diner was redeeming itself. The happy hour crowd of locals that trickled in were the chatty eccentrics that only places with spiritual vortexes like Santa Fe can attract. I feel scarily peaceful and comfortable mingling with them. Maybe it was my delicious rye manhattan. I also shared a green chile and piñon meatball appetizer with my husband. The chunky marinara sauce covering the meatballs was excellent. The green chile didn't really do anything for me. Falan was a great bartender. She looked unusually busy for that time on a Tuesday. She kept up the pace and was smiling and sociable the whole time even though it was near the end of her shift. It really is a good little happy hour spot. I will go back if I happen to be over that way. I also noticed they were taking reservations for Thanksgiving....however, I didn't notice any televisions for football.
(4)Nick S.
It's not the ritz, just a cool place on Guadalupe that is easy to be at. Happy hour works fine for us, as does a very good breakfast. You do feel a little forgotten on the patio with service, but the staff is friendly and accommodating. Go for happy hour drinks and menu, especially on the patio.
(4)Kim W.
5 stars. Stopped in for happy hour. Had the best coconut shrimp ever. We also had the artichoke hearts (to die for) and had the fried pickles to try something new. The food was fantastic and at those happy hour prices you cannot beat it. The house margarita was great as was the house Chardonnay. Great food at great prices and good service!!
(5)Paul N.
another good place to eat. great. try it
(3)T M.
My wife and I like to frequent this place for happy hour, sometimes with friends or family, sometimes by ourselves. They have great $4 Margaritas and a decent array of happy hour eats, although I wish they had sliders. My wife loves the $3 green chile macaroni and cheese. The patio, which is seasonal, is a great place to hang out and sample the menu. So, here is the most important part, the Gazpacho, which is also seasonal(unfortunately), is one of the best meals I have ever had. If you are a fan of this cold soup, don't miss out on trying it here. It was featured on the food network. Good food, good service, check it out for yourself.
(4)K K.
The staff was friendly and prompt. I ordered a malt for $7.50, which is crazy expensive for a malt. The flavors are limited to chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. I liked the texture and flavor, but still not worth the $7.50. I'll just go to the grocery next time.
(2)Ryno C.
Hype, hype, hype! I had read the reviews, heard about the Food Network feature, seen the swanky location and was ready for something, anything! Instead, we got nothing. The one thing that did live up to reputation is the building. Beautifully decorated and full of space and light. Everything else: I ordered their "famous" green chile meatloaf. The green chile was nondescript, it seemed to have turned bland in the cooking process. The meat was OK, but nothing to die for. Toasted pine nuts were mixed in, like a last ditch effort to conjure up some hint of authentic flavor but to no avail. All while deep orange grease seeped from the loaf like a wrung sponge. Too much. The dish came with mashed potatoes and some tasty, yet murky zucchini. For a brief moment, I saw myself, 50 years in the future, stuffed away at an assisted living facility, eating the exact same meal. My significant other ordered the Santa Fe burger. Came out looking like just a hamburger and was noted as just a hamburger on our receipt, so they possibly got his order wrong. He said it tasted like hamburger, but stiff, by-the-book. The restaurant seemed to be run by minors. People sitting next to us complained about something. I probably could have listened harder, but I was afraid what I'd hear. Needless to say, the chef came out to apologize to the party and gave them a free meal. When we were on our way out, our server was getting reprimanded by another patron about some sort of mix-up. This place, while beautiful, feels entirely not OK.
(1)Mandy O.
The place to be for happy hour- cheap food and beers and good house margaritas. We sat at the bar and had a mid afternoon snack and drink. Can't say I was digging the atmosphere of the whole place, but I am glad we stumbled in for a quick stop.
(4)Dan H.
Finding something to eat shouldn't be this difficult. I honestly had my sights set on another place. It took me 30 minutes plus to find the place I wanted to eat at even though I was walking on the road that it was supposedly located. Anyway, long story short I ended up finding it only to find that it was closed. At that point of looking so long I had to find it at least. Yes, I was pissed off that it was closed. One door closes and another opens. I walked into a second restaurant in this part of town only to stand there for 5 minutes plus without being given a table. That was 4 minutes too long to wait for a table as this place wasn't even packed. Sorry. No time to seat me. No time for me to spend my money at your establishment. Two doors close and finally one opens. Zia Diner which I should have gone to in the first place was where I found my dinner. I walked in and was immediately seated and promptly greeted by my server. After walking around for so long I was hungry. I decided to go with Zia's Famous Meatloaf which had green chile and toasted pine nuts within. A side of broccoli and carrots and mashed potatoes and gravy completed the meal. I burned a lot of calories walking around and put them back on eating this food. Not a bad thing. The meatloaf was moist like it should be and the mashed potatoes with gravy (I'm not a gravy fan, but forgot to ask for it without) were not heavy like they can be. So, to sum up. Yes it took me three tries to find a meal in this part of town, but it takes 3 strikes for an out. I don't know what that has anything to do with anything, but it really makes you think. It really does.
(4)Kimber S.
Yeah yeah yeah, so that fat tatted redneck TV "chef" featured this place on his show, but I won't hold that against the Zia Diner. It was within walking distance to our hotel in Santa Fe so we decided to start our Santa Fe pub crawl there as they have Happy Hour from 3 'til 6, even on the weekends, unlike most of the bars in SF. Walking into the building was like a time warp - it took me right back to 1982 with all the turquoise and pink with black accents. I didn't love the atmosphere, but hey, we were there for cheap drinks, and, as it turned out, cheap eats, too. My $4 HH margarita was fine and the hubby enjoyed a local beer they had on tap for $3. The star of this visit, however, was the green chili cheese fries! For $3 on the HH menu, we got a huge plate heaping with (what appeared to be) hand cut fries smothered in fantastically seasoned green chili and tons of melted cheddar cheese! It provided us with just enough sustenance to get our pub crawl rolling and we even had enough to take back to the hotel for a midnight snack!
(3)Audrey A.
so disappointing. Ideal location, once good comfort food and pie. Now, it is insanely overpriced with nothing on the menu that stands out. It died years ago and should make way for good food in that great walking are.
(2)Misun L.
Recommendation: Just OK RATING: 2.5 I read some reviews from the Food Network so I decided to check out this place. The food was just average, you can order dishes like enchiladas, meat loaf, pot roast with mashes potatoes, etc. We ordered the "Homemade Potatoes with Warm Wisconsin Blue Cheese".....(I know your mouth must be watering); however, they are not so spectacular, but definitely worth trying if you are around the area. (I posted a photo) We also tried the chicken enchiladas, and the plate definitely didn't look as full as a photo I found in yelp. Maybe I just ordered the wrong enchiladas, but anyhow, I posted a photo ! You can find the "Homemade Potatoes with Warm Wisconsin Blue Cheese" in the "appetizer section",: the cost is approximately $5.95. RECOMMENDED: "Homemade Potatoes with Warm Wisconsin Blue Cheese" Prices: most main dishes range from $11-$20. Appetizers: $5.95 and up Atmosphere: Casual, half of the restaurant looks like a diner and the other half looks like a bar
(3)J A.
I had not been there before, but my wife said it was very good. We were in the area and decided to have lunch. She ordered the fish and chips, and I ordered the green chile chicken enchiladas. My wife enjoyed her meal, mine was OK but had more cilantro then green chile, Cilantro is OK, but less would have better, and more green chile would have had me thinking about going back. As it is, probably not.
(3)Michaele M.
I ate breakfast here today based on positive reviews online. Nooooooo. The Santa Fe omelette was literally a bland scrambled egg on top of vegetables. Ummmmm, what??? ...aaaand it's $10.95 - you have got to be kidding me. I will not be returning.
(1)Ami R.
Disappointing. My guy had the meatloaf. It was "fine ". Lackluster at best. I ordered the turkey meatball appetizer. I asked the waitress how salty they were. She said they were not. I found them to be almost inedible. I also asked her to go very light on the caesar salad dressing but it was drowning. Later when she asked "How are things", I replied "mixed reviews". She then ran away. That was that. Not impressed.
(1)Kami L.
Restaurant stop #3 on the family road trip. I am automatically skeptical of places featured on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" because of my distrust of Guy Fieri and his overall taste, but this place really surprised me. First of all, the service was wonderful - we had a very attentive server with a great sense of humor. Second, the food was actually good! We were all eating lunch on the lighter side after snacking all morning, so we only ordered a few things: a side of sauteed spinach, a Santa Fe burger, green chile cheese fries, and a side salad. Everything tasted great. My side salad was surprisingly green and topped with jicama, which added freshness and a nice crunch. While the chile cheese fries were a little too cheesy for my liking, the chile part was quite tasty and just what I had hoped for. The four of us all left satisfied and sorry that we were too full to try a red velvet cupcake for dessert. Having arrived with low expectations and cynicism, I was pleasantly surprised by Zia's Diner and would probably go back.
(4)Have On A.
Good service and quiet atmosphere, Mostly local and organic, but bland and tasteless food.
(1)Zachary S.
Decent food, bad service, heavy smoke from the kitchen the whole 2 hours we were there. I do not recommend this place.
(2)Whit R.
Our friends could not say enough good things about Zia Diner so of course it was the first place we ate in Santa Fe. These friends of ours will make a side trip to Santa Fe any time they are in the area - by area I mean within an hour's drive - just to eat there. OK, we're sold! We went for dinner on a Friday night and were sat right away. I would say it was busy but not crowded. We had the "classic nachos" as an appetizer. Whew! There was a whole heapin pile of nachos on that plate. They were delicious and we almost made a meal out of just those. Alas, we had already ordered full plates so we loosened our belts and dove back in. I had the blue corn chicken enchiladas which were very tasty but didn't change my life. The green salsa (which they put on almost everything down there - a SW Mex thing, I guess) was a nice change of pace and had good flavor. My wife had the chicken fried steak. DISCLAIMER - she routinely orders a better-tasting something than I do when we go out. This chicken-fried steak was excellent. I'm a fan, no doubt about that, and let's be honest: it's hard to screw up a chicken-fried steak. Even a "just OK" one is still pretty tasty. This was really really good. I abandoned my meal and helped her finish hers - we practically licked the plate clean. A stroke of good luck - the bar manager was on duty that night and makes an excellent manhattan. Score! We liked the Zia Diner but will probably skip it in favor of other places we haven't been before upon a return to Santa Fe.
(3)Matthew C.
Went here as a recommendation from the concierge of our hotel, not impressed at all. I had the chicken southwest sandwich and my wife had a cobb salad. Neither were that great, mediocre quality ingredients. To top it all off the service was painfully slow. We sat in the restaurant for close to an hour before we got our food and when we finally got the bill it was probably about 1.5 hours total dining time (there were only about 4 other tables occupied in the whole restaurant). I would never go back here and I wouldn't recommend anyone to go. There are much better places in SF and there's no reason to waste your money eating here.
(2)Lin N.
Great outdoor patio, frequent musical guests and decent food are the perfect accompaniments to a breezy summer evening at Zia's. Really good dressings on the salads, happy hour menu portions are big.
(4)Edward H.
For starters, the booth we sat in was not as clean as I would like it to have been. The saltshaker was filled with dark spots and I asked the server about it. She returned with a second shaker with the same spots and informed me it was just pepper as they were refilling them and some pepper must have got inside. The draft beers should have been colder. They told us about a special on Heineken beer and we ordered it only to have the server come back and inform us they were sold out. Heck there were only 10 people in the place at best at 7:30 PM on a Monday, how can you have a special and tell people about it and not have it?? We tried the humus appetizer, which the portion was very huge, it was somewhat tasty but really thick and not the creamy style. They gave us a little pita bread, which was by no means enough to eat with the humus, and we found out later when we asked for more bread, they charged us for it. Either cut down on the portion of humus or give the customer more bread (and don't charge us for it either.) We ordered the chicken fried steak that was average, and then the turkey dinner plate. First of all, everything was bland. Both plates were covered in white bland gravy; the cornbread stuffing was extremely dry and chewy. We had a mound (the size of a softball) of broccoli and some carrots. The veggies were not seasoned either, bland and the carrots tasted a little "off". We also tried the Thai turkey meatballs. Once again, the meat was rubbery, the sauce resembled a Costco sauce, which was overpowering sugary, and the soy flavor was overly strong.
(1)Caitlin A.
I'll start off by saying that my husband and I were both semi-regular at the Zia Diner for a couple of months. We liked the variety of food, the fact that gluten-free items were clearly labeled, the prices (particularly happy hour!), and we had only had good experience with the staff. I went to Zia for the happy hour with a friend and was told the nachos were gluten-free as well as the chile cheese fries--when I pressed the waitress, however, it turned out that the fries were fried in the same medium as breaded items which means they are NOT gluten-free for someone who has celiac disease or a wheat allergy. I don't blame the restaurant for this per se, it's something I should watch out for as a person with CD, but hopefully I can provide some education here. I returned this past week with my husband for happy hour and had the nachos again. My husband, who does not eat gluten-free, had the chicken wings and chile cheese fries. We both have experienced symptoms of food poisoning--I'll spare you the details--for the last 2 1/2 days and it can only be traced back to Zia. I really like the restaurant but I'm afraid we'll have to go somewhere else for future meals.
(2)Walker S.
Excellent food and service, I recommend you give Zia a try. We enjoyed a light dinner with two of their small salads plus a small plate appetizer. I had the Zia cobb then enjoyed the delicious turkey meatballs. We both had a familiar California wine, St. Supery, excellent. With coffee we shared a special, coconut flan, truly excellent. Zia Diner service was terrific; our waiter Julie D was fabulous. We both liked Zia, will be going back next visit and recommend it.
(5)Carrie D.
I saw The Zia Diner on Diner's, Drive-ins, and Dives and thought it looked interesting enough to warrant a visit. It is a strange combination of upscale diner and New Mexican restaurant that I am not sure works. The menu includes diner staples, New Mexican standards, and other random stuff like and Alsatian tarts and hummus. We ordered the following: Green chili cheese fries- large plate of fries covered in green chili and assorted cheeses. The chili was good but the whole plate seemed a little bland and could have benefited from a bit more seasoning and alot more salt. Blue corn enchiladas Christmas style (half red chili/half green chili)- The chili was OK but the chicken was bland and a little on the dry side. We got a peppermint shake to go. It was a delicious, creamy, old school diner shake. They were happy to split it into two cups for us...the "plastic" to-go cups are made of biodegradable maize, you call it corn. Overall I was not that impressed. I would not come back. Because Guy Fieri highly recommended this restaurant on "DD&D" I consider Zia Diner the first of several "Fieri-Fails" on this trip to New Mexico.
(2)Kirsten S.
We ended up at Zia because the wait was so long at Tomasitas. Overall a good meal. The decor is fun and our server did a good job. I was in the mood for something light, so almost order the artichoke and Parmesan appetizer as my dinner. Thank goodness we were eating with locals who had eaten it before. I pictured several artichoke hearts sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. What you really get is a bowl of artichokes wth a creamy, cheese sauce that has been baked. We got it for the table to share and it was good, but very heavy. I did order the corn and avocado gazpacho which was great! I got the roasted beet salad, which was tasty but a bit over dressed. Everyone at the table thought that their food was fine, but no one was raving over it either. Maybe we didn't order the best things off the menu. I would be willing to try it again when we are back in Santa Fe.
(3)Imo M.
The last visit was definitely at 3.5; this was is 1.5. WHY DID YOU MESS UP THE CAESAR, ZIA! I went to Santa Fe really wanting to go to Zia Diner (again), this time for their (in)famous Caesar Salad. Regrettably, the recipe for the entire salad has changed, and not for the better. The dressing is lame/tame (no kick anymore), and the so-called cheese they pile on it now might as well be shredded plastic bottles -- horrid. The only thing that tasted like the once delicious salad was the anchovy side. Needless to say that was my last visit to Zia Diner.
(2)Jackie S.
I'm so disappointed with Zia Diner. This was one of the handful of restaurants open on a Sunday night. We had a group of 6 and were told that the seating would take 20-25 minutes. We kept on waiting for over 40 minutes and decided to leave the restaurant out of hunger. Poor management with the operations. There were some booths that were open and we could have squeezed our group. In addition, other parties were seated automatically when they entered the restaurant. I think the front desk coordinators wanted us to sit at a round table in the back of the restaurant, but a group occupied that space. Farewell to lost business. I wanted to try this place too!
(1)Carl P.
Had the meatloaf with green chile; the broccoli was cooked very well and dinner overall was tasty. Also had the artichoke parmesan appetizer. Smithwick's on tap! The only downside was the rude as hell waitress / manager who stormed up the stairs yelling "c'mon, I've got babies at home, it's time to go!" there are nicer ways to let your patrons know that they have stayed past closing time. She must also work at Cowgirl.
(2)Scot W.
A good, friendly diner with a pleasant atmosphere, creative foods and a good drink menu. Their beer list highlights some good microbrews, including some local beers. I had the santa fe pale ale and enjoyed it. I started with their corn and avocado gazpacho; it was excellent. The avocado was fresh, the peppers lent a great flavor to the soup and the corn provided a nice texture. The grilled asadero cheese sandwich with tomatoes was excellent; the tomatoes were fresh, the cheese was delicious, the bread was flavorful and it was all cooked well. The house made potato chips were okay, but not fantastic. On the whole, I would certainly recommend Zia's and, particularly, the gazpacho.
(4)Terry M.
Saturday Morning after a trip thru Santa Fe's awesome Farmers Market we had breakfast at Zia. The best thing they have going is their wonderful patio. I had the veggie omelet which for the price was awful. It consisted of dried out, rubbery eggs with some large chunks of slightly sautéed veggies...no cheese, no sauce. The side of hash browns were very crunchy and appeared as if they had been sitting on the grill for a long time. My husband had fried eggs, over med. and they came over hard, his hash browns were the same....something left over on the grill. We had read alot about Zia and were over-the-top disappointed for spending $25. for mediocre food.
(2)HighStandard S.
Buffalo liver and onions and banana cream shake can't be beat! Eggplant parm is somehow light and fluffy. Artichoke appetizer is delicious comfort food. Beautiful beet salad. Waiter was funny and had attitude while providing good service.
(4)Gissel G.
Something must be said about the influence your waiter can have on your dining experience! We had an awesome waitres with a super warm smile. I only regret to not remember her name for this review. My husband had the highly recommended green chile and corn quiche. Wow! I had the meatloaf, which was also good, but I wish I would have ordered the quiche. The place has a open and fresh ambience, a bit retro sort of diner look. Overall, just wonderfully pleasant!
(4)Melanie H.
I only had drinks and apps here but this was my experience- I loved this place and if I go back to Santa Fe, Zia will be the first place I eat. We chose Zia when we were in Santa Fe because it was featured on the Food Network. We stopped in on a weekday around 4pm. We ordered margaritas and chips and guac at the bar. They had about 7 different kinds of margaritas, I had the pomegranate margarita and my Mom had the Zia (tequila, triple sec, and lime juice). They were both outstanding, although the pomegranate suited my taste best. We had great service and really enjoyed ourselves. Zia is worth a try if you are in Santa Fe!
(5)Susan Y.
Fabulous comfort food!! The meatloaf was perfectly spicy with the green chilis and the apple crumble pie was yummy. Excellent service and great variety of margaritas!
(4)Eugenie T.
In my memory, The Zia Diner used to be better. Perhaps we ordered food-to-go too late in the day, or perhaps the take-out service is just careless. Whatever the reason, the meatloaf was dry and sorely needed the gravy that was not included in the order. The Corn, Green Chile & Asiago pie was far too egg-y and had no character. The weird dish was the Custard Bread Pudding -- a sliver of soggy bread and a 1/2-inch by 4-inch slab of slimy custard.
(2)Langdon A.
Read about this place in several travel guidebooks, who were mostly positive. Stopped in for lunch during a short trip to Santa Fe. To begin with, the coffee was pretty lousy. Ordered the carrot ginger soup to start - good, not great. Ordered a cobb salad as main, which one of the guidebooks called the best cobb salad in town or something to that effect. Asked for it dressed only in olive oil (versus the raspberry vinaigrette they usually use, which seems unusual on a cobb), and asked that they toss it for me. Waitress begins hemming and hawing that she's not sure because they'd have to wash out a tossing bowl to do that, and that would require extra labor. Wow, I've never heard anything like that before. I always thought part of what I pay for at a restaurant is labor, but anyway, I didn't argue and she said she'd see what she could do. Well, I guess they did half the job - the salad arrived tossed, but with the olive oil on the side (which made the tossing largely pointless). For some bizarre reason they added olives on the salad, which don't go at all with a cobb salad, and they WEREN'T PITTED, which they didn't bother to tell me!!! I literally almost broke a tooth. The salad was rather small, considering it was described as entree sized, and the un-pitted, salty olives just got in the way. To top it off, the place struck me as surprisingly expensive for a diner. Between the food and drink, the unaccommodating service, and the prices, I really can't recommend The Zia Diner.
(1)Kelly C.
**Review based on breakfast only. After spending a lovely hour at the Santa Fe Farmers Market, we strolled down the street to have breakfast at the Zia Diner. My bf and I waited about 10 minutes for a table and were seated with a smile. Our waitress was prompt and returned back quickly with our coffee. I decided to go with the Nutty New Mexican (Eggs Benedict with an NM twist) and my bf with the Huevos Rancheros. I had been reading about Zia Diner for awhile and was really excited to try it... however I wasn't too impressed. My eggs were over cooked, meat was a bit dry and english muffin had tasted like it had been frozen before heated- I almost couldn't cut it! I thought about ordering something else so my bf asked for another menu. Our waitress turned a bit sour towards us after that; didn't even bother to ask if everything was okay. I decided to just eat the eggs since we were in a bit of a hurry. My bf however, said his breakfast was pretty good! All in all, since I've been interested in Zia Diner for awhile, I do plan to return for dinner next time we visit and we'll see what happens then!
(3)Barb M.
Great cobb salad. Switched the lettuce from romaine to organic salad greens. Lots of variety on the menu and the dishes going by all looked great. Very little (if any) difference in size between the side and full salad, so you could easily save some money by getting the side.
(4)Jane G.
Easter Sunday. Brunch. Crowded. Of course. But we had perfect crispy asparagus, very good house-made chips, delicious shepherd's pie, salmon quesadilla (signature dish for a reason) awesome bread pudding. Tuna nicoise was just adequate. About the service: knowledgeable, helpful, patient on a day when the restaurant was really slammed.
(4)Adam Issac W.
Beautiful patio and inside. Stay away from the bar menu. Worst wings I have ever had. We live in Santa Fe and have been here a lot. The regular menu - salads and appetizers are good?
(3)Sara N.
i hadn't had a green chile cheeseburger in 3 years, so when i booked my trip to NM to visit my mom, it was on the list of must-dos while I was there. We had a trip to Santa Fe planned, and she suggested we try the Zia Diner while we were there. I had 3 day to build this cheeseburger up in my mind. To be honest, my expectations were quite low. I ordered my burger medium rare-medium, as I always do when I'm asked (a girl can dream), expecting to get the usual dry, crumbly well-done burger restaurants seem to churn out lately. imagine my utter delight when what landed on the table was a juicy, perfectly cooked, well-seasoned ideal version of a cheeseburger. my expectations were FAR exceeded. the fries were delicious too! service, was just OK, but it was monday at like 2, so that didn't really bother me.
(4)Arley Rose T.
Not only was the food amazing, but the staff went above and beyond to make our meal a memorable experience. My girlfriend and I were passing through town when she recognized it from the diners drive ins and dives show so we went in. They were unusually busy since other restaurants were unexpectedly closed for the holidays. When my waitress came back to say my dish was sold out, she said my entree was on he house. Layer she returned to tell my girlfriend that her dish was sold out as well, and that she would also get a free entree. After some scrumptious nachos and a few drinks, our waitress came back to say she had spoken to her manager and that our entire meal was on the house!!! I had the chicken Marsala and it was better than homemade! Great food and a professional, generous staff made our visit to sante fe a very delicious and memorable one! Thanks zia diner! We'll be back!
(5)Douglas S.
I have to give this place four stars cause I am a fan. I used to live within walking distance, the food is good, the portions are appropriate and they are open until 10pm everyday. It's hard to find places open that late in Santa Fe except bars and of course Atomic grill. I've had the chicken fried chicken and the eleven dollar meat loaf. The chicken fried chicken was a tasty dish and the serving size was the perfect amount of food. It was so unlike any other chicken fried anything I've ever had. It almost looked healthy. The meatloaf was good as well. The service was fine. The only bad choice was my dining partner. We somehow always went there after an argument. Oh well, that's why she's my ex and as far as I'm concerned The Zia is a keeper.
(4)PBJ L.
The huevos rancheros is to Die for! Esspresso is superb. We met a local who eats here EVERY morning for breakfast. No wonder. Staff is friendly prompt and helpful. Definitely coming back.
(5)Robert J.
Fully agree with the negative reviews. Very mediocre food that is overly priced, & below average service. If you leave your hotel to eat, but still want to pay hotel prices, this is your place. 2 eggs, 2 (not 3 or 4) small slices of bacon, some shredded & very undercooked hash browns, 2 pieces of toast & coffee = $13.00 + tip. Was seated by a host who apparently forgot he had seated us. Only 3 tables occupied when we arrived, but when no one arrived at our table we returned to the front & found the host & 2 servers looking at photos, & totally oblivious to the fact that the host had actually seated customers who were waiting for service. 1 in our party ordered a "house specialty" (beef hash) on the menu, but after sitting for another 10 minutes the waitress returned to tell us they were "out". If you give special listings to "house specialties" on the menu, you should be able to serve them. My order only included 1 egg, though it was listed as 2 on the menu, but didn't want to complain & have to wait for that to be brought to the table. Shredded hash browns "could have" been good, but we all found them to be totally tasteless. Ever heard of peppers, onions, seasoning? Did not appear to have even been salted or peppered. Just shredded, thrown on a grill, undercooked & served. Boom. Done with it. And we buy better red &/or green chili in a can than what was served on these dishes. Sorry folks, but this place does not make the grade. On a positive note: lovely building interior; nice location; might return to sit on the patio & see if the bartender is any better than the cook.
(2)Karen S.
Wow, not a great value. Ordered a $12.00 main dish salad that was pitifully small. this used to be a great place for good food. Sad..
(2)Ron F.
Another top ranking for a Triple D eatery in NM for us! We really enjoyed the trip and the tastes in this town. The Zia Diner is in old town Santa Fe, but it appears to be a much nicer area than old town Albuquerque. The eatery is upscale for the price, nice, modern, very clean. Staff very friendly. We were there for lunch on a Thursday around 1:30PM, and had no wait to be seated or served. We decided to try an appetizer. We picked crispy asparagus with wasabi-ranch dipping sauce. Best appetizer I've ever had. Very tasty batter and veggies were al dente. Dipping sauce had a little kick. For the main course I had the Chile Relleno with black beans and rice. The egg was fluffy, the chile not over done and the cheese just melted enough to where it formed a number of strings as I pulled it from the plate and shoved it into my mouth! My wife had the Ahi Tuna Nicoise over romaine with lemon-dijon dressing, roasted beets, feta cheese and red chile pecans. We had ice water with lemon to drink at no charge. Total bill, $31 plus tip. This is another place to pencil in for eats when in old town Santa Fe. While we didn't have a chance to try the breakfast or dinner menu, we are sure you'll be pleasantly rewarded with any items you choose to eat.
(5)Rennie C.
The Zia was on my "to do" list for awhile, and we finally dined there last week for lunch. We started our meal with the sinful homemade potato chips topped with blue cheese-----oh, so YUMMY!. After that, I needed to order a salad, and tried the goat cheese salad with chicken, which was divine, while my companion had the Organic NM Burger with sauteed onions. Our service was just okay---our waitperson forget a few things, but what she lacked in precision, she made up for with a great attitude. See ya at the Zia.
(4)Marin R.
Depressing atmosphere. Patio okay. Food very mediocre. My meatloaf looked terrible, like it could have been cooked a few days before and left sitting on the counter.
(2)Ron V.
My 2 buddies and I stopped here to eat on a snowy Monday afternoon. I had the famous meatloaf, my buddies ordered the blue corn chicken enchiladas and the corn, green chili and Asiaga pie. Portions were quite satisfactory, and my meat loaf was above average, just not in the fantastic stage. The bite my buddy gave me of the Asiaga Pie was great! Enchiladas were also average to above average. Place is worth a trip but not outstanding, in my opinion. Bloody Mary's were excellent and our server very nice....no stains on the carpet either, (Denny L!)
(3)Joey G.
What an eclectic place, totally cute-- aesthetically speaking. I had the breakfast burrito which was mediocre at best. The filling of the burrito was good and crisp. But aside from that there was nothing special about it. My better half had the beef green/red enchiladas which left a puddle of grease hanging out in the middle of the plate. I tried the place because I'd seen it on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and now am afraid that it may be some Santa Fe tourist trap. Nothing is authentic New Mexico here so don't expect it. American (Traditional) I guess one could say, Mexican not so much.
(2)D M.
The Zia is always amazing. The food is great, they're moving more and more to local and sustainable ingredients which makes all the difference in my book. The employees are what really make the difference here, nothing like hanging out at the bar and having a chat with the locals. I also hear they are doing Tuesday night $5 pizza specials or something so look out Santa Fe happy hour!
(5)Kathy B.
I came here for breakfast, while visiting my Mom and was dissapointed. I had Eggs Benedict and my food was ok and the service was poor. For being a diner on the DDD tour recommended by Guy, I would not recommend it at all. It looked like they had a limited menu for breakfast. Maybe the nightlife is better, the inside was nice and had a large bar area. Kathy B
(2)Natalie C.
Sadly let down. I had high hopes for this place because I had seen it featured on the food network. The food featured seemed delicious but I didn't see it offered on the menu when I visited. Possibly a different chef? Change in menu? What I did get was the Hot Roast Turkey Plate with cornbread stuffing and I was unimpressed. My friend had the meatloaf and was unhappy as well. A bummer.
(2)Amy B.
This reminds me of a tired TGI Fridays with New Mexican decor. We went on a Sunday afternoon and the host was very pleasant and accommodating. Fortunately it was HH so left without a hit to the wallet for so-so food and chain atmosphere.
(2)Diane L.
This is a great place with a menu that should please most taste buds. I had a late, after-concert dinner here with a friend and we were really pleased. The avocado & corn Gazpacho was really tasty, as was the roasted beet and goat cheese salad that I had. My companion had a green chile and corn pie that was excellent, a unique dish with loads of flavor. Prices are reasonable and service was good.
(3)HoustonBuffalo S.
We took a group of 12 to this diner bc it was close to our hotel, one of our party had had lunch there, and said it was good. We wanted to all have breakfast together before we departed SF. We called ahead to make sure we could be accomodated and whom ever answered seemed put off by our request for a table together. The place was absolutely dead when we wlaked in, maybe 5 tables on a saturday at nearly 9am. We were seated and given menus, and our waitress did explain that kids items were available for breakfast even though they were not indicated on the menu. The waitress seemed very put off by our group, and seemed to be slammed with out side tables and our large table. There were probably 4-5 other employees walking around but none of them helping her. She brought skim milk for the children and then when both tasted it and rejected it she informed us that they were out of whole milk. Maybe before you give 2 6 yr olds skim milk, it would be a good idea to ask if that would be ok, or maybe something else. Our food took a normal amout of time, but from the time our drinks were delivered until the time the food arrived, she never came back to check on us. No one had coffee left, empty water glasses, and when we asked for coffee, she snapped at us that she hadn't finished delivering our food. No shit! Maybe if you gave a crap about our table, or asked for help from another server, we would have had a coffee refill within 25 minutes of our first cup. This servers attitude was classic auto-gratuity. She knew she was going to get 18%, so why try hard. Don't go to places like this in towns with so much excellent food and service, just don't. The food was fine, but the service was indefensible.
(2)Kate E.
I've always loved Zia Diner, but today (4-5-13) I got a Cobb salad to go and it was downright inedible. It 1) tasted bad, 2) was soggy with dressing when dressing should ALWAYS be on the side for to-go orders because one never knows when the customer is planning to eat it (mine was intended for supper but it was already dressed so I had to eat it at 3:30 PM when I picked it up), 3) was not fresh at all, and 4) IT HAD A FLY IN IT ! Which means the lettuce was not washed, which it probably why the taste was off. I will be going to Flying Star for my Cobbs to go from now on, because they are consistently good. I hope the manager of Zia reads this review.
(2)Barb C.
It was such a waste of time. The chili rellenos were indelible as the batter/crust was sooo thick and greasy. The hash browns were soggy and greasy. And the red chili sauce was bland and such a disappointment. The service was somewhat slow and overall substandard. We tried some place new and are so angry at ourselves that we wasted a meal at Zias when we could have gone to the pantry.
(1)D S.
We've been to Zia many times being residents here and brought my parents for breakfast this morning. One of the coffees they brought was cold. The waitress was 'ok' but it took her a little too long to get to the table to take the order. Then we waited, and waited and waited. Interestingly I noted that of the 3 dishes we ordered, two of the exact same ones were delivered to a nearby table that had been seated and ordered after us. She never came to the table to ask but when we nodded at her to come by and asked about the delay, she said she was sorry and there was a problem but she could bring out what parts were ready. She brought out one meal (minus one side) and the fruit salad side of one of the other meals. Then she brought out the missing side and one of the other meals several minutes later. We continued to wait on one eggs benedict. And wait. It seemed odd to be waiting on this particular dish as it doesn't seem to require that much cooking time or prep work. The others at the table ate for at least 10-15 minutes before the final dish was brought. I told her that we were regular patrons here and this just wasn't okay and we hoped the manager would take care of the issue. Her responses were neither very conciliatory or apologetic but I didn't want to blame her for the problem. They removed the eggs from the bill and offered a free dessert. Service was marginal. My suspicion is that the expediter may have brought our food to the other table incorrectly and then it had to be made again. But still, it took forever. We will not return. Very disappointing.
(1)Bruce R.
Great nachos and cobb salad!
(4)Jonus M.
The food isn't bad but I don't think there is a lot to say about it either. I do like the dining experience its just that the food is seemingly made to appeal to the midwestern tourist tastes or something. The green chile isn't very hot or tasty, just a completely "Meh" experience.
(2)Clare M.
Once upon a time the Zia had a damn fine Shepherds Pie and thick as mud milkshakes. The last 2 times I have eaten at the Zia Diner my food has obviously been frozen. How do I know this, because the same two times my food was served to me it was all hot and bubbly around the ends and a solid block of ice made up the center. You're better off running to Albertsons and grabbing a Stouffer's lasagna for $3.99.
(2)David G.
Really enjoyed it. Service great. Meatloaf really good. Green chili chicken stew really good.
(5)Jen S.
Warning: if you are on a budget, go else where! Diner food at outrageous prices! This place must think they are something special to rob you like they do. Food is average at best and you do not get what you pay for! Won't be going back anytime soon when there are much better restaurants here in Santa Fe.
(2)Michael G.
Not what it was. Too bad. Now torn booths and impatient service. Food quality has slipped. Seems like they have resigned themselves to living off the tourist trade instead of being a unique part of Santa Fe.
(1)Brandon B.
Kudos to meat loaf with pine nuts and green chili, but instant mashed potatoes really? Bread pudding was very plain with a jello like substance.
(3)Debbie W.
I came here for lunch because it was recommended by the hotel I stayed at. Good location near the Railyard. Nice atmosphere, good server. The food was just okay. I had a cobb salad and an artichoke appetizer. They were really heavy and kind of bland, almost no lettuce on salad and for some odd reason they didn't have caesar salad dressing (hence no caesar salad). On the whole, it was okay, but not great.
(3)Dave S.
Zia Diner beat all expectations. I'm sad to say I've eschewed this place for years because I never wanted to go to a "diner." That was definitely a mistake. We started with a plate of their homemade potato chips with bleu cheese, which is a must-have. I had a smoked salmon quesadilla for lunch, and it was great, but all the while I was eyeing my friend's green chile mac & cheese. I finally aquired a bite and it was every bit as good as it looked. Zia will be on my list from now on as a great spot for lunch in Santa Fe.
(4)Erika D.
Zia was delicious! We went on a Monday around 4 and sat on the patio. It was pretty empty because of the time and day, so our service was totally fine (thanks, Sam!). We started with the warm blue cheese homemade patio chips. These were pretty good, and very different from anything we had tried before which was fun. The green chile and asiago pie was huge and awesome. Hummus was delicious. Blue corn enchiladas also really good. The menu is super eclectic with a big variety. Love that the food is sustainable and organic!
(4)Marty M.
Had the salmon quesadillas for appetizer wow they were great. Then dinner had blue corn chicken enchiladas they were also very good. Great atmosphere and decor.
(5)Karen T.
This is not your average diner. Zia diner offers free range meat and it's delicious. We tried the Zia meatloaf with green chile and pinon. As well as the Asiago Pie. The asiago pie had roasted corn and green chile. Equally delicious. For desert the Custard bread pudding...delicious! It is a bit pricey, but worth the quality and portions.
(4)Evangeline O.
I tried eating here in The Zia Diner once and I really want to go back with some of my friends. The experience was the best! The place has a cool ambiance which makes me relaxed. The interior designs was nice, stylish and everything is clean. The waiter was also patient and friendly. He helped me choose the best from their menu. The food was fulfilling! My tummy was full and satisfied that night! Thanks Zia Diner!
(5)Erin P.
Down town fair..... a little depressed the food is touch and go, my crab cakes came over cooked but my crunchy goat cheese salad was divine, dessert was not worth the calories. On a positive note, its close to down town shops, open late and they use vinyl not latex gloves for those of us with allergies this is a safe but not exciting bet..
(2)Jeff L.
Zia has been an institution in Santa Fe for so long, it is sad to see it headed down hill. During my last trip there, the meatloaf was dismal and the vegetables on the side were just beyond rotten. Plus they eliminated the grilled tuna sandwich, which was my favorite.
(2)Leahi M.
I was very disappointed with the Shepherd's pie here. A bunch of my friends ordered food to-go and all of us had very upset stomachs all night. Too bad, I've heard great things, but won't go back.
(2)Rebeccah M.
While I mostly enjoyed our dinner at Zia Diner, there was nothing that really impressed me. The margaritas were fairly strong, the food was simple but not creative, and the service was friendly, but not outstanding. Overall it was fine, but there are a lot better restaurants in Santa Fe.
(2)Anna K.
Excellent! Very tasty burgers and amazing meat loaf! And it's grass-fed too, so very healthy as well!
(5)John K.
This place has a very lovely decor and good service. The menu is a step above diner food and contains a few interesting dishes. I ordered the blue corn enchiladas, and they were average, compared to the ones at Pascual's or Rancho de Chimayo. In many cities, this place would be considered a top spot, but when compared to other eateries in Santa Fe, this place falls short.
(3)Elyse K.
What a great, solid spot. When visiting family the day after Thanksgiving, you're not quite sure if you feel like eating again, but the menu got me back in the mood! The space is an open warehouse-type building but with kind of tacky early 90's decor. I would strip the entire place down to the original bare bones and throw some updated lighting and cement or bamboo flooring. The menu consists of great comfort food with tons of organic and local ingredients. I had a Green Chile, Corn and Asiago Pie (aka quiche). It might have been the most amazing quiche ever and I'm quite the quiche connoisseur. Tobin could care less about quiche and will not even try mine when i order, but this time i insisted and he went back for a second bite. Success! The entire group enjoyed their meals, salads, sandwiches, buffalo burger and meat loaf. There were also creamy frosty milkshakes and hot-toddy drinks. A nice warm Irish coffee will take the frost off your nose. The staff was more than accommodating for our group of 8 adults and 4 kids at last minute's notice. My one water pet-peeve was not quite satisfied as we had to ask for refills, but other than that, i was very pleased.
(4)kate c.
The breakfast burritos were wonderful! and I know chef Rocky Durham is helping out there, which should bring up the less than good reviews here!
(5)staci b.
An Organic Diner. The best concept ever. You feel less guilty about stuffing your face with the buffalo burger, or the farm fresh fries. The pies are the best. I am a big fan of pie. I would eat at the Zia again. While I was there in Santa Fe I went back 3 times. Once just for pie....
(4)Susan L.
We had lunch at the Zia Diner on November 5 and it has a very pleasant atmosphere. Our vegetarian lasagna was delicious and our server was terrific; she was very warm, friendly & attentive. The manager was also very friendly.
(5)Cecilia B.
This is a great spot in Santa Fe for some "American" food. I had the Turkey Club with a Peppermint milkshake, and I was in heaven. The sandwich was huge, its a triple decker, and it came with their own potato chips. My mom had their Chile Relleno and cup of Lentil soup and that was delicious as well. This restaurant has won Restaurant of the Year awards many times. Its deserving. Try it if you are in town.
(5)Anne L.
This place is wonderful! Especially great for gluten free! Lots of selection for gluten free people. Yum! Their chicken pot pie is amazing!!! My husband loved the meatloaf! The Best!!
(5)Dean W.
Summary: Great comfort food, Great service! I also highly recommend the house Homemade chips with warm Wisconsin Blue cheese! Last year was good so we decided to try again. Really really good. The serving of meatloaf my father-in-law received was the biggest I've ever seen a restaurant provide. The turkey in my wife's turkey-melt was real turkey meat not prepackaged slices. The batter on my mother-in-law's fish-in-chips was nicely crisp not soggy. My 9-grain-bread Asadero melt was totally yummy!
(4)Emma S.
I did not particularly enjoy this place. The food and service were just ok, but most certainly not a wow. The booth was a bit dirty and the decor was an odd John Travolta meets the Mayans.
(3)Tiffany S.
The Zia Dinner and I go way back. This was the first restaurant I ate at in Santa Fe. This was the restaurant where my parents first met my boyfriend. The Zia also happens to be the place I miss eating the most. They make the best vegetarian burger I have ever had. It is actually better than a meat hamburger. Shockingly, amazingly, time to let the little cows live and throw away my coat better. Also recommended would be their Shepard's pie (with green chili of course!) As an appetizer, it is all about the spinach dip - my roommate and I would go and seriously just eat this stuff for lunch. It is beyond yummy and chock full o' oil, but not in a greasy way...in a Mediterranean way! Good luck finding it if you're new to or just visiting Santa Fe. Insider secret? It is on a street that seriously seems to jump up and move whenever you get near it...so treat Guadalupe like a magnet. Instead of directly driving at it, try to approach it from the side, or try to coax it over to you. Once you actually manage to find Guadalupe, there is a parking lot in the back, you could potentially waste hours trying to park on the street around here.
(4)Rain M.
Pros: Great food; reasonable prices; great variety on the menu; they use natural, free-range chicken and grass-fed beef. Cons: The service is inconsitent, but if you're aware of that going in, it doesn't have to be a big deal or ruin your meal. Keep in mind that this is a diner, not a fancy restaurant. If you go in expecting a diner, you should be very happy with your meal and overall experience. Try the chicken marsala--it's my favorite. Their milkshakes and malts are also great.
(4)Sam D.
Not the greatest but not the worst, in the middle, I mean I would come back here and eat, and even tell people to go here for diner food. It is a little over priced though.
(3)Kori S.
I crave comfort food. I dream about it. Enter the Zia Diner, the dream come true. I had the green chile, asiago cheese and corn pie(it was a 4inch high quiche) with a mixed green salad, dressed deliciously. I also had a cup of cream of celery soup. Zia, your on my short list of reasons to visit Santa Fe.
(5)Jennifer N.
try the hot organic apple cider. it's like drinking an apple pie.
(4)H D.
We ate lunch here. I had a salad with chicken which was quite tasty. The restaurant was very comfortable and the service friendly. A bit pricey, but then again this is Santa Fe.
(3)N A.
I thought the food here was good but mediocre. It's called a diner but pretty upscale and pricey. I'm not complaining about that part, but the food we had was just okay. I really wanted to like this place more though:-(..
(3)Mark A.
Food is good, but service is slow. It consistently gets rated for good for kids, but not sure why. Having been there 3 times this year, it always turned out to be a bad experience with our kids, b/c its very difficult to have your 2 and 4 year old wait 30 minutes for their meals.
(3)Joshua K.
The food was great, priced right, and staff were awesome! Made our 5th anniversary special! The trout melted in my mouth...and you must hold out room for dessert, the rhubarb/strawberry pie, yum!
(4)Steven P.
The Zia is an anchor in Santa Fe. Yes, a lot of the food is in the comfort category, but it is distinctly Santa Fe'ish none the less. It is almost always open when other places are closed (7 days) and it stays open reasonably late (most places in Santa Fe do not). Other reviews list some good choice dishes, but let me encourage non-vegetarians to try their buffalo burger which comes standard with sweet potato fries that are the best in Santa Fe. There are daily blue plate specials the best of which are the Pot Roast on Thursdays and the Fish and Chips on Friday of course. The restaurant is located in an old garage, but in typical Santa Fe style the inside is really neat and has a good energy (as people in Santa Fe are prone to say) -- though the back overflow area near the bar has low ceilings and is not as cool a space. On cold winter days its comfy, and the patio in summer is nice, but at all times its the place locals gravitate to when they can't make up their mind about where else to go. Most food is quite good and not overly fancy. Prices are reasonable. You can usually park in the lot in the back, but if not a place on the street or a stolen spot in the nearby Sambusco Center will work. If you are not local, look up what a "zia" is and correlate it to the symbols you will see. Not a hot spot -- but your cellphone works there. Service is almost always very good (wait service, that is.). The hostess is usually cute and dresses for the part-- and funnily enough I've danced with about 3 that I knew there. I've never seen a place that went through hostesses as fast as the Zia... but I digress... its really about the food.
(4)Joe O.
Great place to go when you want home style cooking with southwest options. They also make good margaritas. Ask for a booth on the upper level or sit outside in the summer.
(5)